1/23/2018 football Edit

Rivals100 DL Rick Sandidge gives the latest

Adam Friedman • Rivals.com

National Recruiting Analyst

Adam Friedman joined Rivals.com as the East Coast Recruiting Analyst in 2012 and covers D1 CFB recruits from SC to Maine & out to PA & WV. Media requests- RivalsFriedman@gmail.com

Rivals100 defensive tackle Rick Sandidge has taken two out of his three scheduled official visits. The Concord, N.C. star visited North Carolina last weekend and Georgia the weekend before that. South Carolina will host Sandidge this coming weekend.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“I just had a really good time at Georgia,” Sandidge said. “I built a relationship with them. That’s what these visits are all about, building relationships with the coaches and players. Devonte Wyatt was my host and I had a good connection with him.

“It was really good to see coach Scott again,” he said. “You don’t really know what he did with the defensive line this year. They could have had a lucky year or it could have been something he did. All I know is that I was impressed by what I saw out of them this year. He came in and in his first year the defensive line went off like that.

“The official visit to North Carolina went really good,” Sandidge said. “I built a better relationship with all the defensive linemen. I was with all of them and it went pretty well. The coaches were talking about how much they need me and I could come in and get playing time my freshman year. That’s something I really like. I saw that as a big positive for me.

“I see this visit as a big positive,” he said. “The conversations I had with the coaches and the players made me feel like I could succeed there.

“I’m just trying to have a good time at South Carolina this weekend,” said Sandidge. “We might be going to the basketball game.

“I’ll be committing on Signing Day,” he said. “I’m all set with these three official visits.”

RIVALS’ REACTION…

Sandidge’s first two official visits sound like they went well but South Carolina has a chance to shut the door this weekend when he makes the relatively short drive south to the Columbia campus. Georgia went for their in-home visit with Sandidge on Monday night and the Dawgs seem to be doing everything they can to pull off the upset. The relationship they have with Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott is strong and that could end up paying off in the end if things don’t go South Carolina’s way.