South Carolina lands four-star LB Trenilyas Tatum
Trenilyas Tatum is not big on social media, he is not about all the attention and hype that comes with being a four-star linebacker, so his commitment Thursday likely caught many by surprise.
The school may have as well.
Georgia Tech offered Tatum first last fall, and the bulk of his offers came later in the fall or early in the winter, so with the Yellow Jackets being right down the road and the in-state school offering first, most felt he would end up on the Flats.
With school out due to the Coronavirus, Tatum has had more time to think about his recruitment and since early March, South Carolina has been the one on his mind.
He pondered his feelings for a couple of weeks, then decided to act on them.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"I have been thinking about this for about two weeks, and I finally felt like there was no reason to think about it anymore, so I went ahead made the commitment," said Tatum. "Since I visited in late January, South Carolina has been high in my mind, and the more I thought about it, I knew they were the top school, so I committed.
"I like the school, I love how every single coach there has been communicating with me, and it honestly felt like home for me. My family liked it, I loved it there and South Carolina is a great school for me.
"I made the decision on Thursday April 23. I called coach Will Muschamp first to tell him. I caught him by surprise and he was very excited. Next I called coach Krantz to tell him, then I gave the news to T-Rob (Travaris Robinson). I called coach Wilson, the new linebackers coach last, and all of the coaches said the same thing — that I made their day. Those were some fun calls.
"Georgia Tech was my second school, and I was looking at a lot of other schools, but South Carolina just feels best for me. They have recruiting me the hardest, they have shown they care about me a lot. I feel South Carolina really wants me. Coach Muschamp sends me motivational quotes every morning, I hear from 10 different South Carolina coaches daily and I just fit in really well there.
"I am so excited about my commitment and I am just ready to get to work at South Carolina now. I am hoping for a big senior season, then big things will happen at South Carolina. I love the people, the fans, the dorms, the facilities and what they are doing there.
"Coach Muschamp has fire and energy. I love that about him. He is always ready to work and he is going to be a great coach to play for. He's personally been recruiting since the day South Carolina offered, so I cannot wait to play for him."
RIVALS REACTION
Tatum is an athletic linebacker who has barely tapped into his potential. He is a versatile player who can rush the quarterback, play in space and he has so much room to develop physically and fundamentally. He plays fast, he is explosive and this is a great pick up for the Gamecocks. He has around 20 offers, but still, when watching his tape, and evaluating him in person, Tatum looks to be a little under-recruited. South Carolina landed a playmaker today, one of the best defenders in the Peach State.
