South Carolina OL names top three
A rising prospect to watch in the South is Sumter (S.C.) offensive tackle James Thompson.
Thompson (6-5, 310, 5.2) has added an offer from N.C. State in recent weeks to go along with previous scholarships from South Carolina, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina, East Carolina and South Carolina State.
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“I got calls this month from Georgia, N.C. State, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson, ECU, Maryland – just about the whole ACC and SEC, really,” he said.
Any favorites in that mix?
“I have a top three,” Thompson said. “It’s South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.
“With South Carolina, I like the coaching staff most of all and the way they graduate their players. It’s also close to home, only about 40-45 minutes away. I’ve been to some of their games and enjoyed myself there.
“With North Carolina, I like their coaching staff too, and the campus is real nice. They have nice facilities.
“Virginia is kind of the same as those first two. I like the combination of the coaches there, the academics and the campus. They have a real nice weight program, too.”
He added that Georgia would also have a chance to crack his final list of leaders if the Bulldogs offer.
Thompson has taken two unofficial visits so far, both to USC. He saw the Gamecocks play UAB and Virginia. He plans to attend the Clemson-North Carolina game on Oct. 25.
He says he’ll likely delay any official visits until after his season is complete.
Through four games this season, he’s helped power Sumpter to an undefeated record and the No. 2 ranking in Class 4A. He graded out at 86 or better in each game.
Academically, Thompson has scored a 920 on the SAT, but says he needs to work hard on his core GPA this year. He must raise it from 2.0 to at least 2.2 to get qualified.