Georgia DL 'excited' about South Carolina offer
Akron, Western Kentucky and Troy had already offered the 6-foot-3, 270 pound junior, but on Thursday, when South Carolina offered, it was just a different feeling for Patrick Tukes.
The 2021 defensive lineman at McRae (Ga.) Telfair County opened up communication with the Gamecocks a few weeks ago. It started before Christmas, then January 16, the big news came.
"South Carolina hit me up out of the blue, then I got on the phone with T-Rob (Travaris Robinson), and he offered me," said Tukes. "I have been talking to South Carolina (Ross Mashburn) for a little while now, so I wasn't shocked by the offer, but it was very exciting."
Tukes does not know a lot about South Carolina yet, but he has now scheduled his first trip to Columbia for January 25.
"Now that I have the offer, I am very interested in them. I am really looking at South Carolina now.
"It is my first SEC offer, so it means a lot, and I am very thankful."
It is still very early in the recruiting process for Tukes, and he is expected to continue to add offers. He is set to visit Georgia State Monday, and the Panthers could be next to pull the trigger.
Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech and West Virginia are other schools showing heavy interest.
Tukes did not attend a college game during the season, so he will be seeing most schools for the first time in the coming months. He is a versatile defensive lineman with size that finished the 2019 season with 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.