New 2017 South Carolina Rankings: Meet the Top 5 and see our predictions
The most recent Rivals.com National Rankings update was completed last month, but now the complete state rankings are rolling out. Take a look at the top five players in South, how they got there and where we think they might end up signing next year.
Check out the complete South Carolina Top 20 here.
Background: Smith burst onto the recruiting last spring, turning in several impressive camp performances and even earning a ticket to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour.
Recruiting Wrap: Smith has several big-time offers, including in-state powers South Carolina and Clemson.
Prediction: South Carolina. Smith has family ties to Clemson and an offer from the Tigers in hand, but the new staff in Columbia has made him a priority and it looks as if they are in the best position to land his commitment at this point.
Background: Robinson was given the moniker of “Tank” by his coaches and teammates for his aggressive style on the field. He flies around and makes plays from the safety position and is exactly the type of players coaches look for to anchor their defensive backfield.
Recruiting Wrap: Robinson already has double-digit offers, led by Clemson and South Carolina.
Prediction: South Carolina. Even before the coaching change in Columbia it seemed like Robinson was bound for the Gamecocks and now that the new staff has made him a priority, it looks like he could be another in-state grab for Will Muschamp and company.
Background: Register became a name to know on the recruiting scene last spring, as he nabbed offers from a handful of programs.
Recruiting Wrap: Shortly after receiving an offer from South Carolina last spring, Register jumped on board an verbally committed.
Prediction: South Carolina. Register loves the Gamecocks and even the recent coaching change hasn’t impacted his commitment.
Background: The versatile athlete has seen a slow rise to his Rivals.com ranking, starting out as a three-star and working his way up to four-star status after an excellent junior season. He could play on offense or defense at the next level, but most schools are making him a priority on offense.
Recruiting Wrap: After picking up an offer from Clemson early in the process it looked as if the Tigers were the school to beat. Since other programs like Oklahoma and South Carolina have made Smith more of a priority, his recruitment has opened up considerably.
Prediction: South Carolina. Clemson has taken its wide receiver search nationwide and it remains to be seen if Smith fits into their plans. In the meantime the Gamecocks have put on a full-court press to land Smith’s commitment.
Background: The younger brother of Oklahoma State quarterback and former Rivals250 prospect Mason Rudolph, Logan has seen his recruitment explode since the end of the season. He can play tight end or defensive end and his versatility has caught the eye of programs from coast to coast.
Recruiting Wrap: Rudolph has offers from everyone, including USC, Oregon and Alabama and probably boasts the most impressive offer list of any prospect in the state. The question is whether or not he will jump on the opportunity to go to one of those options, or follow his brother to Stillwater.
Prediction: Oklahoma State. It’s still very early but the Cowboys have a great relationship with the Rudolph family and the chance to follow in his brother’s footsteps might be too much for Rudolph to pass up.