Feb. 6, 2008

Signing Class Highlight Video

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier met with the media on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the 2008 Signing Class.

“Overall, I think (our 2008 recruiting class) is fairly similar to three of our first four. This is a good, solid group, probably ranked similar to the other two years, between 21 and 25, something like that and probably around consensus 24 and 25. We think we got a bunch of good guys that eventually are going to help us and really play well.”

“We play a tough schedule. We know that but we should have a team that can compete with that tough schedule. We are excited about the guys that are here and the guys that are coming. We are looking forward to the coming season.”

“If you go down the list, our first three guys that actually signed with us last year (Antonio Allen, Akeem Auguste, Eric Baker) and went to Fork Union (Military). They are in the program now, doing very well and are well-conditioned athletes. Both the defensive backs should play a lot this year and Eric Baker will have a chance also.”

“Reggie Bowens, Jarrett Burns, Ronald Byrd, Kenny Davis, a lot of these guys could be redshirted or they maybe can help us. We will just have to wait and see. Ryan Doerr is a punter and will have a chance to be our punter. Maybe that will give Ryan Succop a little bit of relief if Ryan Doerr can come on and be our punter.”

“I’m excited about Aramis Hillary. He loves football. He’s from a football family. I think an uncle played here and his brother played at App State and won a couple of national championships. Aramis loves everything about playing quarterback. I went to his high school, sure enough, he carries the football around with him all day and pitches it to whomever his around. Aramis I think ran for 800-900 yards, he can move around. He gives us a mobile quarterback who is also an excellent passer. Aramis, I don’t know if he is quite as quick as Syvelle (Newton) was, but I do know he is a very good passer also and he gives us a different quarterback than what we have had here since Syvelle.”

“T.J. Johnson is a big, solid offensive lineman. Jarriel King can play offense or defense. I know he had a problem at Georgia Military. He’s paid his dues and we are going to give him a chance to be a Gamecock. As you know, he signed with us three years ago. He needed about 20 points on a test score, never did get it and had to go to Georgia Military. He is scheduled to be with us, hopefully, in March or April. We will see when he gets here.”

“Reid McCollum, down in Summerville, a quarterback, we all know about him. Kenny Miles ran for a whole bunch of yards (this past year). D.L. Moore is the one receiver we signed this year from Kentucky. Another tall kid, 6-4, about 185 (pounds). We signed several receivers last year so that was not a high priority to sign a bunch of those guys. Darrell Simmons a safety, Jay Spearman also, both of those guys are big safety defensive back type players. Chaz Sutton was a late guy, defensive end from Savannah, Ga. He had originally committed to Florida all summer and for some reason that wasn’t going to work out so he was available. We got him up here last week and we think has a chance to qualify and be, really, a very good player for us. “

“Devin Taylor, also another defensive player out of Beaufort. Going to be a good player. Mike Triglia at tight end from Bolles down in Jacksonville. C.C. Whitlock, he will either be a wide receiver or defensive back. Right now, I think we have him at wide receiver but he is capable of playing any position. Elliot Williams, an offensive lineman who probably needs a year to redshirt. We will see. Shaq Wilson, a linebacker from Jacksonville, he is also enrolled here.”

“A good, solid bunch of guys to add to the players we brought in last year. We were able to redshirt quite a few last year, so we have a strong nucleus of players with anywhere from three to four years of eligibility ready to go.”

(on signing in-state players)
“We try to sign the best players we can sign from in-state to the surrounding states to wherever we have a connection to sign a player or two. Maybe we should focus a little more in-state but we did focus in-state too.”

(On last year’s No. 1 ranked receiving recruits from last year and effect on this year with receiving)
“It could have (effected) us. We went after two or three, we tried to get them but we are happy with the players we have here. We need to coach what we got. These players can run and catch and they are ready to start playing. Mark Barnes, Jason Barnes, Matt Clements, Joe Hills, we need to have a really good spring practice finding out who can play receiver and defensive back. Now, of course, we return most the (defensive) guys with Captain Munnerlyn, Carlos Thomas, Stoney Woodson and E. Cook. We return all those guys but as we know they get hurt sometimes and you need about eight or nine guys who can play back there. Darian Stewart certainly played well back there for us also. We just need to do a good job coaching this spring. We are excited about coach Ellis Johnson and coach Ray Rychleski. We got some new direction here, we will do some things a little bit different offensively also, and see if we can become a better team. We need to be near the top offensively and defensively and we have not done that yet.”

(on the University of South Carolina)
“The University has been very good with us. Of course with facilities and the new (Dodie) learning center scheduled to be completed in 2009. That is going to help all sports here. We are redoing our training area (down in the stadium) that should be finished this summer. That helps a little bit. Obviously we need to win games in helping with recruiting also and players like to go where they think they have a chance. We have a lot of good players here, we really do, we just have to coach them better and they have to play better and we will be fine.”