Hometown lineman commits to Muschamp, Gamecocks

The Chapin to South Carolina football pipeline continued Tuesday as offensive lineman Hank Manos verbally committed to the Gamecocks.

Manos is third Chapin player to land at USC in the last five years, joining offensive lineman Mason Zandi (graduated) and incoming freshman Will Register.

“It will be good to be playing for Will for the next three years so that did help,” Manos said. “And USC coach Will Muschamp and (offensive lineman) Eric Wolford are really genuine with me and care about the players.”

Manos is expected to play center for the Gamecocks and said he won’t entertain any offers from other schools. The state heavyweight wrestling champion plans to enroll in January.

Manos had offers from Duke, N.C. State, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina and Georgia State. He said USC, Duke and N.C. State showed him the most interest.

“My decision was based on education, proximity to home and coaching,” he said. “Those have been my top three for the entirety of my recruiting process and South Carolina is the best for me in all three aspects. I am very happy with my decision. Coach Wolf really wants me at center but also realizes I can play guard if needed. I am really excited about playing for Coach Wolf. He is a special kind of coach. He seems to truly care about his players but at the same time is tough as nails and expects full effort and commitment every time they are on the field. This is just what I was looking for in a position coach.”

He is the third commitment for the 2018 class, joining offensive lineman LaMarius Benson of Covington, Ga.; and wide receiver Darius Rush of C.E. Murray. Defensive end Tyreek Johnson (Sumter), originally part of the 2017 class, is on track to enroll in January.

Phil Kornblut contributed to this story

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Hometown lineman commits to Muschamp, Gamecocks."