Two-time USC commit no longer part of 2018 recruiting class

Defensive back Marlon Character of Northwest Mississippi Junior College was one of four South Carolina football commitments who did not sign in December. Now Character says he won’t be signing with the Gamecocks at all.

“I won’t sign with them,” Character said. “I currently have no offers. They (USC) pulled out.”

According to Character, the Gamecocks pulled his offer because he wasn’t able to graduate in December and enroll in January. When he committed in August, he said it was with the understanding he would have to graduate in December for the offer to be good.

Character said he’s not talked to any other schools at this point and he is back at Northwest for this semester.

Character has had a long relationship with the Gamecocks and with Will Muschamp. He originally committed to USC while in high school in Atlanta but later signed with Auburn while Muschamp was there as defensive coordinator. He redshirted his freshman season of 2016, then decided to transfer and reconnected with Muschamp and Travaris Robinson at USC.

Another of the unsigned USC commitments, wide receiver Ronnie Jamison, said Sunday night he is returning to Highlands Community College (Kansas) to finish up some classes this semester. As of now he is planning to sign with the Gamecocks next month.

He might be taking some other visits this month, though nothing has been set up. He’s not yet taken his official with USC.

South Carolina signed 20 during the early signing period and now has three committed for four remaining spots.

Notes

▪  At this point, USC has no official visits scheduled for this weekend. Other scheduled official visits for this weekend, as stated by the prospects, include USC targets OL Dylan Wonnum to Auburn, DL Rick Sandidge to Georgia and DE Dennis Briggs to Louisville. Briggs is scheduled for USC Jan. 19 and Florida State on the 26th. He also plans to visit Miami.

▪  USC offered a preferred walk-on spot to OL/DL Noah Henderson of Marlboro County.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Two-time USC commit no longer part of 2018 recruiting class."