Elite 11 Prospects heavily Evaluated During May Recruiting Period Across South Carolina

Goose Creek—The May recruiting period for college football is about over as the HSSSR goes to press on May, 28 and we can share with our readership that it has been a very active period for colleges form all over the nation visiting high school programs in just about every county in the state.

Once again we thank the Josten’s team in South Carolina for sponsoring this recruiting page and we give a special shout out to long time friend Dusty Rhodes, ranked at the top top of Josten’s rep’s in America. 

For those keeping score Clemson has received the most early verbal commitments from in-state players with five as of may, 24. They have pledges from Daniel nose guard DeShawn Williams (6-1, 280), Chester pure quarterback Tony McNeal (6-1, 180), Wren offensive lineman Shaq Anthony (6-4, 295), Waccamaw two way lineman Jerome Maybank (6-5, 325) and Woodland athlete Robert Smith (6-0, 185).

During the May evaluation period only one of the HSSR Top 10 rated players was committed and he is Myrtle Beach quarterback Everett Golson (6-0, 180) rated the number four over-all prospect in South Carolina by the HSSR. Golson has been compared to a young Donovan McNabb type and he was the only in-state quarterback that drew an offer from South Carolina.

The state’s number one prospect by the HSSR is South Pointe’s Jadeveon Clowney (6-6,235) a defensive end who has drawn nearly 50 offers to date.   The HSSR talked with

“JD” on May 25 and he said right now his top six schools are Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Clemson, Florida State and Miami.

One situation favoring the Gamecocks is the fact Clowney has a first cousin he is close to who is a sophomore at South Carolina only 90 miles from his home in the Rock Hill area. “My son does not get excited about going and visiting places and the hype from his recruiting doesn’t excite him like it excites me,” said Clowney’s mother who works at Frito Lay. “Everybody at work is always talking about my baby and how talented he is. I can tell you that my son isn’t that excited about publicity and he has a really low key type personality. He started playing football when he was 7 and he loves to hit people. South Carolina is close to where we live and that is something that we like a lot.”

Just like the HSSR predicted a year in advance that former Byrnes running back would stay in state and play at South Carolina it looks like Clowney will have a tough decision between Alabama and staying home to play at either South Carolina or Clemson.

The state’s number two prospect, Dorman wide receiver Charone Peake (6-3, 185-4.4) told the HSSR in mid-May exactly what was on his mind. “My top two schools right now are Clemson and Georgia and I have no plans to visit South Carolina,” he said.  “I also like Florida, Southern cal and North Carolina.”

Peake caught 51 passes for 881 yards and 9 touchdowns as a junior. He attended the spring game at Clemson and hopes to visit the aforementioned schools over the summer. The HSSR feels that Peake will eventually commit to Clemson after a tough battle with Georgia.

Brandon Shell (6-7, 320) of Goose Creek got a visit form Notre Dame during May and over 30 more colleges visited with head coach Chuck Reedy hoping to secure a pledge from Art Shell’s nephew. Shell still has a lot of work to do in the class room but his quick feet and straight ahead drive blocking talent make him a national recruit at the three spot in the HSSR Top 100 for the upcoming season.

Shell told the HSSR in early May that his top four schools were South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia and Alabama and that he was a lean to the “SEC.” He has nearly 20 offers and over the summer he said he will visit Georgia and Alabama for sure.

Dexter Staley got an offer at 6 a.m. of his junior year last September from Florida. This Williston-Elko linebacker (6-3, 230) also plays fullback and helped lead the Blue Devils to a Div. II Class A state title last November. He has also received offers from most of the ACC/SEC schools. He is the number five rated prospect in South Carolina but the HSSR.

Staley has also been offered by South Carolina, LSU and Illinois among others.

The next six spots are claimed by Lake City running back Shon Carson who will be a top choice for the HSSR Mr. baseball award next year. Sources tell HSSR that Carson prefers Clemson for football and South Carolina for baseball. He attended a junior day at Clemson this past spring.

Carson recently told the HSSR that his top five include Clemson, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida State. Carson also said that if possible he would like to visit Southern Cal, Miami, LSU, and Georgia over the summer. He rushed for 2,146 yards last season scoring 33 touchdowns. He recently completed the baseball season with a .465 batting average including 12 home runs, 34 RBI’s and 43 stolen bases.

Phillip Dukes (6-3, 280) is a defensive lineman from Manning who has nearly 15 offers coming out of the May evaluation period. Dukes has a 350 pound bench and offers form nearly every SEC-ACC school.  Dukes is rated as the 7th best over-all prospect in the state by the HSSR.

The number 8 spot is held down by versatile athlete Shamir Jeffrey (6-2, 295) of Calhoun County. Last year Jeffrey passed for 1,500 yards when he played quarterback and he had 575 yards in receptions when he played receiver. Kentucky is a school that has offered him as a quarterback while South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, East Carolina and Tennessee like him as an athlete.

Jeffrey is the younger brother to South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffrey and that might favor the Gamecocks in the end.

Marlboro County linebacker Lateek Townsend (6-2, 195) and the Gerald Dixon brothers from Northwestern and South Pointe respectively round out our Top 11.  Townsend recently told the HSSR that he likes Southern Cal, Florida, Clemson, South Carolina and North Carolina. He had 189 tackles and 13 sacks his junior season.

“The day to day living standards of the players is very important to me,” said Townsend. “The other important factor is just how successful do I see a certain program with me apart of it.”

The Gerald Dixon (6-4, 280) from Northwestern is a defensive tackle while the Dixon from South Pointe (6-3,235) is a defensive end. Their father Gerald starred at South Carolina and the Gamecocks appear to be the leaders right now. North Carolina, N.C. State, Georgia Tech and Duke are also closely involved.

This year the 2011 Class is expected to produce close to 50 major college signees from the state of South Carolina. Our next issue, due out at the end of June, will focus on spring football. It’s a great time to subscribe at 800-489-0649!  

Wando’s Cisco focused on winning in 2010

By David Shelton
Consulting Managing Editor

Mt. Pleasant – As the state’s top senior baseball prospect, and one of the nation’s top pitching prospects, Wando High’s Drew Cisco gets a lot of attention when he steps on the mound.

Whether he’s pitching for his summer team, the Diamond Devils, or toeing the rubber for his school team, Cisco knows that a lot of eyes are focused on everything he does.

Fortunately, Cisco has plenty of help in dealing with the pressures of being one of the best. His grandfather, Galen, is a former major league player and pitching coach and one of the more respected figures in the game.

Older brother Mike, also a Wando grad, pitched at South Carolina and is currently working in AA ball as a pitching prospect in the Phillies organization.

Growing up in the game has helped Cisco adjust to and handle any adversity that may come his way. That’s probably why the 6-2, 195-pound right-hander is so at ease when talking about his season and his future.

“I don’t really see it as pressure really, it’s just baseball and it’s fun and I love to play,” says Cisco, who is off to a 4-0 start for the state’s top-ranked and undefeated team. “I do what I’ve always done. I try to prepare myself for every game and give my team a quality start.”

Cisco, who boasts a fastball that is consistently around 90 with a plus curveball and changeup, was highly recruited over the last several years and ultimately signed with Georgia after considering Clemson, South Carolina and North Carolina. His decision to become a Bulldog was based on how comfortable he felt with the staff, the school, and the community of Athens.

“It’s obviously a great place to go to school and be an athlete,” said Cisco. “Overall it was the best fit for me. I like their coaching staff and I like how they develop pitchers. The way they treat the academic part of going to college. The whole atmosphere just fit my personality best. The other schools and programs are great but I felt most comfortable at Georgia.”

Whether Cisco actually ends up playing for the Bulldogs remains to be seen. As you might expect, Cisco will likely be drafted in June by a Major League club hoping to make him a professional.

It is unclear what round he is projected this early and it depends on who you ask as to where most think he will fall. As he sees it, the draft is just part of being a good player. In the end, he feels he cannot make a bad decision.

“The way I see it, I have two choices and both are good choices so I can’t go wrong,” he said. “One is I can attend a great school and play in a great college program. The other is I can sign a pro contract and live a dream I’ve had as long as I can remember. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it some but it’s not something that I’m consumed with right now. Once this season started, my focus has been on winning a state championship.”

Cisco spent much of the fall and the weeks leading up to this season meeting and talking with representatives of every major league club.

“It was pretty casual, just them getting to know me as a person and letting me ask questions and stuff,” said Cisco. “Having a brother that has already gone through this helps a lot. I kind of know how it works so that takes a lot of pressure off me. I know in the end my family and I will make the best decision.”

Despite an outstanding career, the leading candidate for the state’s Mr. Baseball award says failing to go out with a state AAAA title will be a major disappointment. Wando is off to a 14-0 start and has rarely been challenged to date. The Warriors were the favorite last season but lost to an upstart, red-hot, Gaffney squad in the state finals.

Cisco is just one of several seniors who have been building for a state title run for the last three years. He feels this is the year they can finish the job.

“We all want to be the first Wando team to win a state championship in baseball and we want it pretty bad,” said the four-year varsity starter. “This is our best team and our best chance. Last year was so disappointing for us.

“Right now things are going good for us. We are playing well and we’re confident. As for me, I’ve done all I’ve wanted to do except win that state title. It’s hard to express how bad I want that, not only for myself, but for my teammates, my school and this community.”

Spring Football Evaluations Very Important In The Inexact Science of Football Recruiting  

Goose Creek—As spring sports conclude their regular seasons all across South Carolina, with many teams advancing to the playoffs, we at the HSSR extend best wishes to all teams as they strive to win region championships and state championships in the sports of baseball, softball, golf, track, boy’s tennis and soccer.

During the last week of April, and throughout the month of May, college football coaches will travel all across South Carolina in search of the next Barry Sanders, or just see some very good players in hopes of filling needs on their respective rosters. We have seen the Class of 2011 in the making for the past few years and this group is among the best in the nation. In fact we will argue with those folks at Scout and Rivals that our ten players for the upcoming season are as good as anyone’s top ten from any other state in the nation!

This year’s class should approach 50 major college prospects as the players in South Carolina continue to benefit from excellent coaching, excellent off season programs and spring football drills that allow full pads and a spring game. By comparison in the state of North Carolina you are not allowed to have full contact or put on the pads during spring drills. 

The HSSR has been conducting a prospect service for numerous major colleges for years  and this column will focus on some of the ways this service helps those colleges who are involved with us. It is also a great time for more colleges to join this service that now has members like Clemson, South Carolina, Notre Dame, Alabama, Penn State, Maryland, Coastal Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Duke, to name a few.

It was near the end of May in 1993 when former Notre Dame assistant coach Dave Roberts entered my office at the HSSR asking to speak with me. At first I thought it was a joke being played on me by one of my recruiting junkie friends.

“I was just over in Summerville talking to John McKissick and he referred me to you,” said Roberts as I greeted him in my office. “Coach Holtz has just cut my time in South Carolina and I need to head to Florida tomorrow. Coach McKisisck said if I showed you my prospect list you could circle a few of the very best players since I only have one day left to see a few of them.”

Coach Roberts showed me a list several pages thick and after mulling it over I surprised him with this comment, “You have a fairly good list but you are missing our top rated player for next season!”

The expression on Coach Robert’s face was shocking. “We paid $5,000 for this information and we are missing the top player. Are you kidding me?”

Two hours later Roberts is at spring football practice at Choppee High (now Carvers Bay) watching Lamont Bryant (6-3, 235, 4.5) run drills under the watchful eye of Coach Spears.

Eight months later Bryant signed with Notre Dame and he would go on and be a defensive captain by his senior year. Without debate had Coach Roberts not come by and signed up for the HSSR football recruiting service Bryant would have went elsewhere. Why he was not on this over priced and inflated prospect list was a shock to both Coach Roberts and me.

Thus, every May I think about the importance of every deserving player who should be evaluated getting evaluated! The HSSR list is considered the most accurate list by most colleges who get the list. We exist as a business to cover high school sports in one small state, and we have developed relationships and a network of information second to no other organization. We fully understand why some college coaches ride by certain high schools and don’t stop, on their way to the school right down the road, where they do stop and watch tape and watch afternoon drills.

By the end of May we project over 45 young men in the Palmetto State will be offered a major football scholarship. We rate most of our top ten players in the four star category used by scout and rivals. The HSSR will continue to exist to promote our players in South Carolina to the rest of the nation.

Just who are the top ten? Well, how about who are some of those players not in the top ten right now who deserve to be evaluated also? Why not go look at quarterback Matt Layman (6-1, 175) at Hilton Head Prep and see why former Clemson and NFL quarterback Steve Fuller (his quarterback coach) is so high on him. Why not go see Justin Worley at Northwestern and admit to yourself that he looks a lot like Peyton Manning and throws like him too!

If Clemson or South Carolina signed all top ten HSSR rated players for next year and signed only them their class would be rated amongst the top ten in America by the various scouting services across the nation. These top ten players include Jadeveon Clowney, a defensive lineman from South Pointe, Dexter Staley, a linebacker from Williston-Elko and Brandon Shell a huge offensive lineman from Goose Creek.

It’s spring in South Carolina and that means the spring sports are in high gear and that college football coaches are on the move all across South Carolina!

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By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special Writer

Roebuck - The Dorman Cavaliers had 12 student/athletes made their college choices final as they signed their national letter of intent’s yesterday.

Leading the way were FBS signees Andrew Bailey and Rob Greene. Bailey, 6-3,215lb defensive end, inked with FBS power Appalachian State while Greene (5-10, WR) will stat home play for the Wofford Terriers.

Quarterback Johnny Foster will head to Tennessee where he will play for Division II powerhouse Carson Newman.

Also heading to the SAC 8 is offensive lineman Ricky Scott. He will play for Wingate College.

Punter Jacob Buckley and offensive lineman Jake Morris are heading to Tigerville to play for the Crusaders of North Greenville.

Heading to Kansas to play for Fort Scott Community college are defensive end Cortez Carson and linebacker Kendrick Smith. The Greyhounds played for the JUCO national championship this past season.

Head Football Coach Dave Gutshall said, “This a fine group of young men. The last two years they went 27-2 and were the main reason Dorman won it’s second state championship.”

The Lady Cavaliers did not let the guys steal the show as they had four signees, three in soccer and one in track and field.

HSSR All state Kim Kesler is heading to Boone, NC to play for App. State while Aubrey Danielson and Becca Miller decided to stay in state. Danielson will attend USC-Aiken and Miller will kick it around for Presbyterian College.

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By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special Writer

Duncan - One of the most heralded classes in state history made if official as they inked their names to their college’s national letter of intent yesterday at the fine arts center on the campus of Byrnes high school.

A school record tying 12 Rebels have now signed on the dotted line with three more Rebels expected to sign in the coming weeks according to head coach Chris Miller.

The three expected to sign in the near future are linebacker Clay Allen,  defensive back CJ Thomas and tackle Mitchell Bourgeois.

That will make 15 of 22 starters heading off to play at the next level.

Two of the Rebels heralded class have already enrolled in school, Corey Miller is at Tennessee and Brandon Willis is at North Carolina.

Of course the big news was Tuesday night when running back Marcus Lattimore verbally committed to South Carolina. Wednesday he made it official as he joined teammate wide receiver Nick Jones in becoming Gamecocks.

Record setting quarterback Chas Dodd was decked out in all Rutgers gear as he signed.

Wide receivers Torian Richardson and Jazz King are headed to East Carolina and Marshall University respectively.

Roland Johnson is heading to Western Carolina University and Kevin Slusser to Newberry as the Rebels entire front four signed to play at the next level.

Linebacker Paul Scott will take his play making ability to North Greenville.

Rounding out the class are defensive backs Aerial Byrd and Zach Miller. Byrd is headed for Greenville, Tennessee to play for the Pioneers of Tusculm College while Miller heads west to Kansas where he will play for Butler Community College.

Coach Miller said, “They are all class acts. They are tremendous workers and they lead by example in the the things that have done for the program and in the community. They are reaping the benefits of all their hard work. We have been blessed with a special group of athletes.”

Byrnes' Lattimore

By David Shelton
Consulting Managing Editor

Goose Creek – Most of the state’s top senior football prospects have made their choices as the recruiting season enters the final month. Several will make their announcements in the coming days.

There are not expected to be many surprises when all is said and done. Most of the athletes who have yet to commit have been giving strong indications of where they might end up and we do not have the sense that much is changing.

One player who has changed his mind of late is Byrnes defensive end Corey Miller, who has been a verbal to Tennessee since September. As of late, Miller has backed off that commitment and is expected to announce for North Carolina this weekend at the Army All-American game. UCLA is the other finalist but the thought here is that Miller will be staying closer to home.

Beaufort linebacker Justin Parker has been a lean to Clemson and South Carolina over the course of the season but his latest favorite is LSU. If you want a prediction here, look for Parker to stay in-state. South Carolina will likely be the winner for his services but Clemson could pull a surprise.

Manning defensive back John Fulton, a South Carolina lean for several months, committed to Alabama last weekend at the Under Armour All-American game.

Manning defensive end Dexter Morant has been a verbal to Georgia since early in the season. He seems to be wavering a bit of late and will still take visits to Clemson and South Carolina. The call here is IF he changes, Morant may be headed for Clemson, however, Georgia appears to still be the favorite.

Darlington corner Victor Hampton is expected to choose South Carolina on Saturday at the Army All-American game. Hampton was an early verbal to Florida but does not have the Gators on his final list. Tennessee is a longshot.

Byrnes running back Marcus Lattimore will choose his school in early February, just before signing day. His decision will come at his church and while some feel Auburn and Penn State have a shot, the call here is South Carolina.

This could be another C.J. Spiller deal where everyone in the family and community expected Spiller to choose Florida but he instead went with Clemson at the last moment. Could Lattimore shock everyone and chose an out-of-state school? Possibly, but not likely.

The other top running back in the state is Irmo’s Mustafa Green. Green is expected to visit North Carolina State next weekend and has already visited Rutgers. He says Maryland offered recently and Georgia is involved as well. Green may not visit Maryland or Georgia but will strongly consider both.

“I’m just trying to weigh everything and see where I fit in at each school in terms of playing time,” said Green. “I want to play early if I can.”

Green has no interest in Clemson or South Carolina.

Richland Northeast offensive lineman C.J. Wilson, a South Carolina Shrine Bowler, has committed to South Carolina State.

The rising senior class of football prospects in South Carolina will be one of the best ever. Several juniors have already picked up more than 15 college offers.

Chester quarterback Tony McNeal verbally committed to Clemson earlier this week. McNeal has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and 55 touchdowns in the last two seasons, but missed several games in 2009 with a knee injury. He is expected to have his ACL repaired with surgery next week. His plans are to graduate next December and enroll at Clemson next January.

South Pointe defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (6-6, 270) may be the state’s number one prospect next season. He already has more than offers, including Clemson and South Carolina and everyone else in the SEC and ACC.

Marlboro County linebacker Lateek Townsend is also receiving offers on a daily basis. It’s early but this appears to be headed for a showdown between Clemson and South Carolina. Townsend (6-2 ½, 213) has more than 340 tackles in the last two seasons and is already one of the most recruited players in school history, and this from a program that has produced numerous Division I prospects over the years,

“He’s a special player, no doubt about it,” says Marlboro County head coach Dean Boyd. “His best football is ahead of him because of his work ethic. He’s starting to learn how to watch film and study the game more and it is making him a more complete player.”

Townsend is attending the U.S. Army Combine for underclassmen this weekend in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the Army All-American game weekend.