South Pointe’s Chris Smith sticking with Gamecocks
South Pointe defensive back Chris Smith committed to the former South Carolina staff in late July at a time when the Gamecocks were his only Power 5 Conference offer.
He had a strong season, helping lead the Stallions to a state championship and earning a spot on the Shrine Bowl team. He worked hard enough in the classroom to be able to graduate this month and enroll in January.
Last week, however, new USC coach Will Muschamp passed along the disappointing news to Smith that because of needs and numbers, he wouldn’t be able to enroll early. Smith indicated he would consider other schools that had a midyear opening available.
Muschamp made it clear to Smith that the offer for signing in February was still good if he wanted to keep it. Keep it, he will.
South Pointe coach Strait Herron said Sunday night Smith has decided to stay with the Gamecocks and will sign in February.
“Muschamp has called on several occasions reassuring Chris that they want him at South Carolina,” Herron said. “There is still an opportunity for him to be able to enroll mid-year, it just depends on other guys they have offered.”
Smith is one of two defensive backs currently committed in the 2016 class.
News and notes
▪ Defensive end Jordan Woods of Citra, Fla., has been in touch with Muschamp and remains interested in the Gamecocks, who offered him under the previous staff. The problem for USC is that Woods has tied up his three remaining official visits.
He has visited Tennessee and South Florida and has set Georgia Tech, West Virginia and Miami for the three January weekends. He did not rule out the possibility of an unofficial visit to USC or to even changing one of those official visits to the Gamecocks. Woods does not have a favorite.
He’s playing this week in the Offense-Defense All American Bowl in Daytona Beach.
▪ Defensive lineman Jamil Dukes Jr. of Mooresville, N.C., decommitted from East Carolina on Sunday night.
The new USC staff offered him earlier this month, and he set an official visit with the Gamecocks for the weekend of Jan. 15. He’s also scheduled to visit Pittsburgh Jan. 29.
Dukes saw his season cut short after six games due to a cyst on his hip.
▪ USC defensive end commitment Javon Kinlaw was offered by Maryland on Sunday and plans to take an official visit with the Terps in January. Kinlaw used to live in the Washington, D.C., area and is close friends with new Terps assistant coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim. Kinlaw has academic work to do this semester to avoid having to enroll in junior college next fall.
▪ Linebacker T.J. Brunson of Richland Northeast was offered Saturday by Tulane and will take an official visit there the weekend of Jan. 22. Brunson recently decommitted from Louisville. He has an official visit set with USC for Jan. 15.
This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 9:32 AM with the headline "South Pointe’s Chris Smith sticking with Gamecocks."