Shameik Blackshear ready to turn next page, move on to career at USC

After making plenty of headlines the past two years, Shameik Blackshear hopes to join South Carolina’s football program quietly this summer.

“I can guarantee you neither he nor his mother (wants to talk),” Blackshear family attorney Thomas Taylor said.

Taylor represented Blackshear last week on a charge of petit larceny. The charge was dropped Tuesday at the request of the alleged victim, but not before the incident had a big impact on the player and his mother, their lawyer said.

“They have had it with the media,” Taylor said.

Blackshear, a four-star defensive end prospect from Bluffton High, was arrested at his school less than two weeks after signing to play football at USC. He was charged with petit larceny after two witnesses alleged he stole a purse and a safe, Bluffton police said.

“From what we understand, he was innocent all the way,” USC coach Steve Spurrier said.

“He should be treated as if this never happened,” Taylor said.

That won’t be easy for a player who already was no stranger to the spotlight. In 2013, Blackshear was featured in The State as a sophomore at Bluffton High. At the time, he drew comparisons to former Gamecocks star Jadeveon Clowney.

USC defensive line coach Deke Adams said, “‘After (Clowney’s) gone, it’s you,’” Blackshear said then. “He said they need me there because I’m a person that’s just like (Clowney). We play the same and all that. He said they need me to come fill his shoes when he leaves.”

Blackshear was considered for the coveted five-star prospect ranking by many recruiting analysts as a sophomore.

“You don’t see too many freshmen and sophomores flash the ability he did early in his high school career,” said Chad Simmons, national recruiting analyst for Scout.com. “He is a five-star talent, no doubt about that. He has five-star tools, but he did not play up to that five-star rating consistently. I need to see more consistency and more want out of him.”

The past two years have not gone smoothly for Blackshear. On the field, he battled multiple injuries; off it, he battled frustration. Blackshear was selected as one of The Hilton Head Island Packet’s Lowcountry 11 prior to his senior year, but he failed to show up for the photo shoot attended by 10 other standouts from the region.

His junior year was hampered by injuries to his wrist, finger and shoulder. He was healthy entering his senior season but tore his ACL in the second game of the year and hasn’t played since. The Gamecocks expect Blackshear to be healthy when he arrives on campus in June, but whether he will be the player who rose to national recruiting prominence as a sophomore, they don’t know.

“He could be one of the best in the country,” Simmons said. “He has that kind of ability, but does he have that motor, that mindset to be that guy. That has always been the question and the knock. The more I saw him in person, the more I worried about how much he pushed himself and how much he really wanted to be that No. 1 guy.”

Bluffton High coach Ken Cribb believes Blackshear can return to his peak form physically.

“Right now, he looks as healthy as he’s ever been,” Cribb said. “Physically, I don’t see anything getting in his way right now. He looks likes in the best shape he’s ever been.”

Blackshear, 6-foot-6, is up to 20 pounds to 255 pounds, Cribb said.

“Shamiek has an opportunity ahead of him now, if he keeps his priorities in order and continues to increase his work ethic and stay focused, the sky is the limit for him,” Cribb said. “I think he can play at the highest level.”

Blackshear’s arrest threatened to derail his enrollment at USC, and the player was relieved by Tuesday’s news, Taylor said.

“He had a big smile, a very warranted relief that this was over and anticipation of getting his final exams done,” Taylor said.

Blackshear nor his mother returned a message left by Taylor on behalf of The State. The alleged victims in the crime and a witness referred to by the court were not named publicly and could not be reached for comment.

“Police officers had questions about the entire thing,” Taylor said. “The video camera from the investigative officer that night is replete with statements such as, ‘This just doesn’t make sense,’ ‘These stories don’t add up,’ ‘There’s something wrong here,’ ‘We don’t like waking people up at 1 o’clock in the morning when somebody is lying about something.’ Shamiek had a complete alibi. He was with his girlfriend the entire evening.”

Blackshear is expected to arrive in time for the first summer school session at USC on June 1. He will get plenty of opportunity this fall to help a defensive line looking for answers.

“He’s focused on that. He’s focused on getting up to Carolina. He’s doing his very best,” Taylor said. “I think he has come through it as well as any 17-year-old who sees himself falsely accused on the front page of the paper can. You know, people forget, he is 17 years old. It has not been easy.”

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 7:59 PM with the headline "Shameik Blackshear ready to turn next page, move on to career at USC."