Florida cornerback Tavyn Jackson commits to Gamecocks

South Carolina’s secondary received a boost Friday with a commitment from cornerback Tavyn Jackson of Tallahassee, Fla.

Jackson (5-11, 173) camped at USC this week chose the Gamecocks over Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and UCF. He wants to major in electrical engineering and carries a 3.8 GPA, and he felt Will Muschamp’s commitment to his education was important in his decision.

“I felt at east there talking to the coaches,” Jackson said. “Other colleges I went to they threw out their statistics on what they’ve got and what they’re getting there. When I went to South Carolina they didn’t really tell me, ‘Oh, they’ve got this coming.’ They were like, ‘What can we do? What do you want to major in?’ I just felt like they were looking for the better advantage for me. I know it’s kind of hard to balance out any engineering and football, but Muschamp said they’ve had people do it and he said if I’m committed to it I can get it done. He said if I really want to get into that degree, he’ll find a way to help me.”

Jackson will graduate early and will enroll at USC in January, so he will get a jump-start on earning a spot in the defensive rotation with spring practice.

“Coach TRob told me they only have four corners right now and it’s a better opportunity because I’ll have a chance before everyone else gets there,” Jackson said. “I’ve always liked Coach Muschamp. He’s been one of my favorite coaches ever. And TRob is an exciting coach. He jumps around with you and I like the idea of playing for someone like that.”

Jackson is a true shutdown corner. He had six interceptions as a sophomore. He did not have any as a junior but he did knock down 15 passes thrown his way.

“I had to go find them,” he said. “They didn’t want to throw my way.”

Jackson said the commitment means he’s shutting things down “at the moment.” His hometown school, Florida State, does come by his school to check on him and texts him, and Florida does as well, but neither has offered at this point.

Jackson is the first defensive back commitment for the Gamecocks’ 2017 class and the 15th overall in the class.

This story was originally published June 17, 2016 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Florida cornerback Tavyn Jackson commits to Gamecocks."