Feb. 5, 2003

Lou?Holtz Press Conference Quotes

Signees to be listed under the following groups:

Backs (B): Includes offensive and defensive backs; wide receivers
Linemen (L): Includes offensive and defensive linemen; inside and outside linebackers
Specialists (S): Includes kickers and punters

Fred Bennett B 6-2 180 So. Manning, SC Hargrave Military(VA)/Manning
– Played in the 2001 Shrine Bowl
– Rated the No. 4 prospect in South Carolina in 2001 according to Superprep
– Originally signed with South Carolina in 2002
– Spent 2002 at Hargrave Military for a semester
– Played for Coach Robbie Briggs at Manning High School
– Runs a 4.4 40 yard dash
– Coach Briggs on Fred: “Fred is a gifted athlete and a great person. He is a competitor that should do a lot for the Carolina program in the next few years. South Carolina has put together a winning football atmosphere he wants to be apart of. He is a difference maker.”
– Chose South Carolina over North Carolina

Cory Boyd B 6-1 210 Fr. Orange, NJ Orange
– Played defensive back and running back in high school
– Rated as the 21st best defensive back in the nation by Superprep
– Rated as the No. 12 prospect in New Jersey by Rivals.com
– Rushed for 1,535 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior
– As a junior, Boyd rushed for 1,785 yards and 22 touchdowns
– Recorded eight interceptions his junior season while playing safety
– Played for Randy Daniel at Orange High School
– Runs a 4.5 40 yard dash
– Coach Daniel on Cory: “Cory is a hitter; a physical tackler who comes ready to play. He is a very talented athlete.”
– Chose South Carolina over Virginia Tech, Virginia, Wisconsin and Boston College

Ryan Brown L 6-2 238 Fr. Moncks Corner, SC Berkeley
– Played in the 2002 Shrine Bowl
– Rated the No. 2 inside linebacker in the nation by Tom Lemming
– Rated the No. 56 prospect in the Rivals.com Southeast Top 100
– Rated the No. 8 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25
– Rated the No. 15 line backer in the nation by Superprep
– South Carolina High School Sports Report Class AAAA All-State Team (linebacker)
– Fox Sports Net All Second Team as a linebacker
– Played for Jerry Brown at Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner, SC
– Runs a 4.5 40 yard dash
– Coach Brown on Ryan: “Ryan has a lot of potential. He has great size and strength to be a linebacker. He was hurt for a couple of years here, but he didn’t quit. He kept at it and he worked hard. Working with South Carolina’s strength staff will help him develop and grow into a great player for Coach Holtz and his staff.”
– Chose South Carolina over Florida, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Clemson

William Brown L 6-5 275 Fr. Boonville, NC Starmount
– Played in the 2002 Shrine Bowl
– Played in the North Carolina East-West All Star Game
– First team All-State
– Played for Joe Hutchens at Star Mount High School in Boonville, NC
– Runs a 5.1 40 yard dash
– Coach Hutchens on William: “William is a big, strong kid who is a good football player. He works in the weight room really hard and that has paid off as he has earned many achievements over his high school career.”
– Chose South Carolina over East Carolina

DeAdrian Coley L 6-3 240 Jr. Georgetown, SC GA. Military/Carvers Bay
– Rated the No. 63 prospect in the Superprep JUCO Top 100
– Ran for 800 yards and made 130 tackles his senior season at Carvers Bay High School
– Signed with South Carolina out of high school
– 2002 Georgia Military Defensive MVP
– Played for Coach Bert Williams at Georgia Military College
– Runs a 4.5 40 yard dash
– Coach Williams on DeAdrian: “DeAdrian is a young man who blossomed through the off season. From his freshman season to his sophomore season, he added 20 pounds. He was the guy that everyone counted on and he was the leader of our defense this past season.”

Stanley Doughty L 6-2 315 Fr. Greensburg, LA St. Helena Central
– Named to the Louisiana All-State team as a defensive tackle
– Made 98 stops, with 28 for a loss and 15 sacks
– Played for Kenneth Lee at St. Helena Central High School in Greensburg, LA
– Coach Lee on Stanley: “Stanley is phenomenal. He is the best defensive lineman that I have ever coached. He has a lot of strength. When he was playing, it was like a man playing against boys. He gave us the push up in the middle. The opposing team would have to design their offense around Stanley. That is how important he was for us.”
– Chose South Carolina over LSU

Ty Erving B 5-11 175 Fr. Batesburg, SC Batesburg-Leesville
– Rated the No. 19 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-Statewide team.(defensive Back)
– Played in the 2002 North-South All Star Game
– Played for Phil Strickland at Batesburg-Leesville High School
– Runs a 4.45 40 yard dash

Derrick Harper B 6-3 185 Fr. Montclair, NJ Montclair
– As a junior, recorded 35 catches for 800 plus yards with eight touchdowns
– Ran back two punts for touchdowns and averaged more than 25 yards per return
– On defense, posted 50 tackles with three interceptions
– Rated the No. 14 prospect in the state of New Jersey by Rivals.com
– Played for Edward Lebida at Montclair High School in Montclair, NJ
– Runs a 4.38 40 yard dash
– Chose South Carolina over Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Boston College
– Coach Lebida on Derrick: “Derrick is a very motivated athlete. He has great skills and he can get the job done. He is an out going person who has a great personality and is a good communicator on and off the field.”

D’von Hill B 6-2 212 Fr. Greenwood, SC Camden Military
– Tallied four touchdowns and 380 yards receiving at Camden Military
– Out of high school, rated the No. 9 best wide receiver prospect in the Atlantic Region by Prepstar
– Finished senior season of high school with 65 catches for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns
– Lettered in basketball while in high school
– Originally signed with South Carolina in 2002 but enrolled at Camden Military for a semester
– Played for Coach Eric Boland at Camden Military
– Runs a 4.58 40 yard dash
– Coach Boland on D’von: “D’von is a good possession receiver. We usually had him run inside routes for us, but overall he is an excellent route runner. He is sure handed and he blocks really well on the corner.”

Josh Johnson L 6-3 235 Fr. Gibsonton, FL East Bay
– Totaled 87 tackles his senior season
– Selected in the Tampa Tribune for the Hillsborough County All-Star National Division first team defensive lineman
– Voted the defensive player of the game in the Tampa Bay area all star game in which he started
– Played for Brian Thornton at East Bay High School
– Coach Thornton on Josh: “Josh is extremely quick and rangy with long arms and good feet. He gets to the ball fast by running people down.”
– Chose South Carolina over Mississippi State, and Iowa State

David Laggis L 6-4 230 Fr. Conyers, GA Heritage
– Played tight end and defensive end in high school
– Recorded 93 stops and 10 sacks last season
– Was named the defensive player of the year in his area
– Caught seven touchdown passes on offense his senior season
– Played for Randall Owens at Heritage High School in Conyers, GA
– Runs a 4.8 40 yard dash
– Coach Owens on David: “He is a great leader, has incredible work ethic and is a big play maker. He is always there when you need a big play.”
– Chose South Carolina over Kentucky

Marcus Lawrence L 6-3 245 Jr. Aiken, SC Butler County CC/ Silver Bluff
– Totaled 108 tackles for an average of 9.1 a game this past season at Butler County
– Rated the No. 6 prospect in the Rivals.com Non-High School Rankings
– Two time all conference while in junior college
– First team All-American in junior college
– Played in the North-South All Star Game in 2000
– Named to the first team defense as a linebacker in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
– Runs a 4.58 40 yard dash
– Rated No. 5 JUCO prospect by Superprep
– Named 1st Team All-American by Gridwire
– Played for Coach Morrell at Dodge City Community College
– Coach Morrell on Marcus: “He is a dominating player. He was a great technician as a middle linebacker. His work ethic led to his accomplishments here and he will continue to accomplish and achieve more and more as he is at USC.”

Travis Lee B 6-1 182 Fr. Shelby, NC Crest Senior
– Rated the No. 11 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Rivals.com
– Finished his high school career with 33 receptions for 833 yards and 10 touchdowns
– Rushed for 827 yards and 11 touchdowns while passing for 1,596 and 16 touchdowns in his career
– Played for Roy Kirby at Crest High School in Shelby, NC
– Runs a 4.5 40 yard dash
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina

Blake Mitchell B 6-4 185 Fr. LaGrange, GA LaGrange
– Rated as the 77th best prospect overall and the 10th best quarterback in the nation by Tom Lemming
– Completed 81 of 133 passes for 1,553 yard and 17 touchdowns while throwing only three interceptions his senior season
– Led his team to a 12-1 mark in his final year at LaGrange High School.
– One of EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterbacks
– Named to the All-State Team as a junior after passing for 2,086 yards and 23 touchdowns
– Junior season led his high school squad to the Class AAA Championship
– Rated the No. 55 prospect in the nation by Rivals.com Southeast Top 100.
– Rated the No. 7 quarterback in the nation by Superprep
– Rated the No. 10 quarterback in the nation and the 77th best prospect in the nation by Tom Lemming
– Played baseball in high school
– His older brother Jay is a pitching prospect in the Rockies’ organization.
– Played for Steve Pardue at LaGrange High School
– Runs a 4.7 40 yard dash
– Coach Pardue on Blake: “Blake is an excellent decision maker and he is an accurate thrower. He meant a lot to our football program and we are going to miss him here. He loves to play the game.”

Syvelle Newton B 6-2 196 Fr. Bennettsville, SC Marlboro County
– Ran for 1,029 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on 142 carries his senior season
– Completed 63 of 143 passes for 933 yards and threw five touchdowns
– Led the state in scoring his junior season and was fourth in rushing behind the state’s top three running backs
– Passed for over 1,700 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2001 while rushing for 1,923 yards and 24 touchdowns
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-Statewide Team
– Played in the 2002 North-South All Star Game
– The South MVP of the 2002 North-South All Star Game
– Rated the No. 50 prospect in the Rivals.com Southeast Top 100
– Rated the No. 2 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25
– Rated the No. 5 quarterback in the nation by Superprep
– Rated the No. 7 quarterback in the nation and the No. 45 best overall prospect in the nation by Tom Lemming
– Played for Dean Boyd at Marlboro County High School
– Runs a 4.6 40 yard dash
– Coach Boyd on Syvelle: “Syvelle is one of the best athletes that I have ever seen. He is a very competitive player who has a great work ethic.”
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson, UCLA, and Vanderbilt

Robert Pavlovic L 6-6 230 Fr. Mississauga, Ontario St. Francis Xavier
– All Star Tight End for the past three years
– Led his league in receptions in 2001-02
– Led the team in sacks in 2002-03
– Led the team in special team tackles in 2002-03.
– Played on all specialty teams, including long snapper on punt

Mike Rathe B 6-2 210 Jr. San Diego, CA Mesa Community College/Rancho Bernardo
– Completed 52% of (160 of 304) of his passes this past season for 2,874 yards and 30 touchdowns
– Second team selection in the Foothill Athletic Conference
– Rated the No. 37 prospect in the Rivals.com Non-High School Rankings
– Rated the No. 49 prospect in the Superprep JUCO Top 100
– Originally signed with San Diego out of high school.
– Played for Martin Moss at San Diego Mesa College
– Runs a 4.7 40 yard dash
– Coach Martin on Mike: “He’s an extremely intelligent kid with a strong arm. He did some real impressive things this year as far as moving around the pocket and making plays with his athleticism.”
– Chose South Carolina over Kansas

Curtis Rice L 6-2 210 Fr. Union, SC Union
– Runs a 4.54 40 yard dash
– Played linebacker on Union’s 2002 Class AAA State Championship teamM
– As a senior, made 99 tackles, 33 for a loss, and 14 sacks
– Made 72 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three interceptions as a junior
– North-South All Star
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson

Tray Rogers B 6-0 185 Fr. Columbia, SC Irmo
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-State Team and Defensive Player of the Year
– Accumulated 112 tackles and five sacks
– Rogers totaled over 100 tackles his junior season, 11 for loss, and totaled five sacks
– Played on Irmo’s 2002 Class AAAA State Runner-up squad
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-Statewide Team. (linebacker)
– Rated the No. 15 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25
– The son of USC Heisman Trophy Running Back George Rogers
– Played for Bob Hanna at Irmo High School
– Runs a 4.5 40 yard dash
– Coach Hanna on Tray: “Tray had a great year for us. When we needed a key play on defense, he was the one who came up and made it for us. He was a tremendous part of our team’s success this season.”
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson, North Carolina, and Georgia

Freddy Saint-Preux L 6-5 295 Jr. Brooklyn, NY Dodge City CC/Midwood
– Played defensive tackle at Dodge City Community College
– Signed with Central Florida out of high school
– Rated the No. 60 prospect in the Superprep JUCO Top 100
– Rated as one of the top five defensive lineman in the JUCO ranks
– Named to All-Conference in 2002
– Recorded 88 tackles his senior year
– Spent 2 years at Millford Academy Prep School
– Played for Marshall Tames at Millford
– Coach Rossetti on Freddie: “The number one that sticks out about him is that he is a young man with great character. He is an excellent player with good speep and he has a nose for the football.”
– Why USC: The deciding factor was the academic programs USC had to offer and the opportunity to play for Coach Holtz,” said Freddie.
– Chose South Carolina over Alabama, and Texas A&M

Darrell Shropshire L 6-2 285 Jr. Kershaw, SC Coffeyville/Andrew Jackson
– Runs a 4.9 40 yard dash.
– Rated the No. 7 prospect in the Superprep JUCO Top 100.
– Recorded 54 tackles and six sacks his freshman season at Coffeyville.
– Posted 67 tackles, and six sacks his sophomore season at Coffeyville.
– Totaled 23 tackles for loss which was the second most in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
– Named the 2002 Defensive MVP of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
– First team JUCO All-American by Gridwire.
– Played defensive end, running back, and tight end while in high school.
– Played for Mike Lowery at Andrew Jackson High School in Kershaw, SC.
– Coach Lowery on Darrell: “In high school, he played both sides of the ball and now he is only playing at one spot so he is more fresh so he can do so much more. He knew he wanted to play at a Division I school. Going to junior college was his best chance at doing that so he has worked hard to get this opportunity to play for Coach Holtz and the Gamecocks. He is a great addition to the Gamecocks and I look for him to excel every time he gets on the field and show everyone what he can do.”
– Played for Jeff Leiker at Coffeyville Community College.
– Coach Leiker on Darrell: “Darrell was a defensive end his freshman season but we moved him inside this past season. He really did a good job of disrupting the other teams’ offensive schemes. He is very active and that is why he was the defensive player of the year in our conference. He is a very good student and that enabled him to graduate in a year and a half. That allowed him to go to USC a semester sooner and he will benefit from that.”
– Chose South Carolina over Tennessee, Florida, and Auburn

Charles Silas L 6-6 255 Jr. Swainsboro, GA Georgia Military/Swainsboro
– Runs a 4.6 40 yard dash.
– Totaled 180 tackles his senior season of high school while posting six sacks.
– Rated the No. 47 prospect in the Rivals.com Non-High School Rankings.
– Rated the No. 10 prospect in the Superprep JUCO Top 100.
– Played for Bert Williams at Georgia Military College
– Coach Williams on Charles: “He moved from linebacker to defensive end for us this past year. He has the size, the height, and the athleticism to be a big time SEC defensive end. He still has some learning to do but he will grow and be a good player for South Carolina for the next two years.”
– Chose South Carolina over Arkansas

David Smith B 6-4 205 Fr. Union, SC Union
– Recorded seven catches for 83 yards and one touchdown in the 2002 Class AAA State Championship game against Camden.
– Caught 76 passes for 1,374 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior.
– Posted 66 receptions for 1,100 yards his senior season, which was third in the state of South Carolina.
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-Statewide Team. (Wide Receiver)
– Rated the No. 14 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25
– Played for Mike Anthony at Union High School.
– Runs a 4.6 40 yard dash.
– Coach Anthony on David: “David is a very physical receiver. He has the big body, a 6-4, 190 pound frame to use. He should be able to use his size as an advantage to make plays when needed for South Carolina.”
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson and Georgia.

Ko Simpson B 6-2 180 Fr. Rock Hill, SC Rock Hill
– Runs a 4.5 40 yard dash
– Played on the 2002 Rock Hill Class AAAA State Championship Team
– Recorded 63 solo tackles, 49 assists, and four interceptions with six pass breakups his junior season.
– On the offensive side of the ball, he caught 22 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns his junior season
– Rated the No. 25 propsect in the Superprep South Carolina Top 30
– Played for Jim Ringer at Rock Hill High School

Demetris Summers??? B??? 6-1??? 205??? Fr.??? Lexington, SC??? Lexington
– Runs a 4.6 40 yard dash.
– Rated the No. 4 prospect in the nation, and the No. 1 RB in the nation by Tom Lemming.
– Is the South Carolina high school all-time leader in career rushing yards and career touchdowns scored.
– Is fourth all time leading career rusher in high school football history.
– 2002 rushing stats: 223 attempts, 2,308 yards, 21 touchdowns, 10.3 average per attempt
– 2001 rushing stats: 2,329 yards and 39 touchdowns.
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-Statewide Team. (Running Back)
– South Carolina High School Sports Report Mr. Football Career Award.
– No. 9 rated prospect in the Rivals.com Southeast Top 100.
– No. 1 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25.
– No. 2 rated running back in the nation by Superprep.
– Parade All-American.
– Named to the Fox Sports Net First Team All South Team as a running back.
– Played for Jimmy Satterfield at Lexington High School.
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson and Florida.

Woodly Telfort L 6-8 330 Jr. Miami, FL Dodge City CC
– Played offensive tackle at Dodge City CC
– Runs a 5.0 40 yard dash
– Rated the No. 45 JUCO player in the rivals.com non-high school rankings
– Rated the No. 35 prospect in the Superprep JUCO Top 100
– Signed with Pittsburgh out of high school
– Coach Rossetti on Woodly: “The thing that really stands is that he has great character and is very coachable.Huge upside athletically and has unlimited potential.”
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson

Cody Wells B 5-11 170 Fr. Belleview, FL Belleview
– Selected to the second team all-state by rushing for rushing for 1,205 yards on 108 carries as a junior.
– As a sophomore, he was named to first team all-state by posting 145 stops and nine interceptions.
– Played for Eddie Anderson at Belleview High School.
– Runs a 4.48 40 yard dash.
– Chose South Carolina over Central Florida.

Noah Whiteside B 6-0 170 Fr. Greenville, SC Greenville
– South Carolina High School Sports Report All-Statewide Team. (Wide Receiver)
– Named the South Carolina High School Sports Report Class AAA Player of the Year.
– Led the state of South Carolina with 86 catches for 1,793 yards and 20 touchdowns.
– As a junior, finished with 69 catches for 1,393 yards and 15 touchdowns.
– Rated the No. 5 prospect in the Rivals.com South Carolina Top 25.
– Rated the No. 71 prospect in the nation by the insiders.com
– Named to the Fox Sports Net Third Team All South Team as a wide receiver.
– Played for Larry Frost at Greenville High School.
– Runs a 4.4 40 yard dash.
– Coach Frost on Noah: “Noah is an outstanding wide receiver and is a real team player. He is most dangerous after he catches the ball. He has worked real hard to get here and he will show what he can do.”
– Chose South Carolina over Clemson, Pittsburgh, and Maryland.

* For the first time ever, USC has put together consecutive top 10 recruiting classes. In 2002, USC’s class was ranked as high as #7 by ESPN’s Tom Lemming. This year’s class is ranked as high as #8 by Rivals.com

* The rankings of USC’s 2003 class include:

#8 by Rivals.com
#8 by PrepStar
#10 by SuperPrep
#12 by ESPN’s Tom Lemming
#12 by Insiders.com
#18 by Max Emfinger’s Blue Chip Recruiting

* Rivals.com had the following position rankings (national), and USC fared well in most of those:

Quarterback — USC ranked #1 nationally
Linebacker — USC ranked #3 nationally
Wide receiver — USC ranked #7 nationally
Defensive tackle — USC ranked #8 nationally