Minnesota grad transfer moves up visit to South Carolina

South Carolina is one of a handful of schools in the mix with Minnesota graduate transfer defensive end Gaelin Elmore, and the Gamecocks are going to a close up look at him sooner than originally planned. Elmore had set an official visit to USC for April 14, but he’s moved that visit up to this Sunday through Tuesday. His father will join him on the visit.

Having gone through the recruiting process once before coming out of high school in Wisconsin, Elmore knows the whole official visit routine. But he was young and somewhat naive the first time around, so he has more definitive ideas about what he wants to see on this round of visits.

“Now it’s all about feel when I start taking visits,” he said. “Campus, coaches and players. I want to see what all the campuses have to offer.”

Defensive line coach Lance Thompson has been Elmore’s contact at USC and the two have been in regular contact regarding the visit.

“Just talking about my time on campus and staying in touch,” he said. “They’ve already made their pitch. Now it’s about relationships.”

Elmore also is looking at Wake Forest, East Carolina, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona State for possible visits. At this point he said East Carolina has been recruiting him the hardest.

Notes:

▪  Clemson and USC, as expected, made the top 10 list of defensive end K.J. Henry of Clemmons, N.C., which he revealed Wednesday night. The others on the list are Penn State, Georgia, Ohio State, Pitt, Alabama, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Charlotte. Henry visited USC for the spring game and made a visit to Clemson in late March.

▪  Defensive back Jaylon Reed of Olive Branch, MS released his top 10 list Wednesday night. USC is on the board along with Ole Miss, Oregon, Memphis, Tennessee, Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Purdue and Georgia.

▪  Gaffney WR Dennis Smith visited Duke Tuesday and is going to Florida State instead of Clemson Saturday. Smith told TheDevilsDen he doesn’t feel he’s as much a Clemson priority like he used to be.

▪  Clemson and Gamecocks defensive line target Darnell Jeffries was offered by Mississippi State.

▪  USC and Clemson defensive end target Azeez Ojulari of Marietta, Ga., was offered by Tennessee.

▪  Don Chaney Jr., a 2020 running back from Miami, says he was offered by USC Wednesday.

▪  IMG Academy offensive lineman Reuben Unije (6-foot-5, 303 pounds) visited Tennessee on Tuesday and might visit Florida on Friday. He also plans to visit USC.

▪  Duke graduate transfer quarterback Thomas Sirk, who visited USC last weekend, also has visited ECU and Southern Miss.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Minnesota grad transfer moves up visit to South Carolina."