Bryce Thompson commits! Local do-it-all athlete is a Gamecock

Bryce Thompson grew up admiring the likes of Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore and Connor Shaw during their time at South Carolina.

Now, the Dutch Fork standout will have his opportunity to follow in their footsteps as he committed to South Carolina on Wednesday. Thompson made his announcement on Twitter between practices for the Shrine Bowl.

Thompson won’t sign until the February signing period.

“It is a stress reliever to finally get it off my shoulder,” Thompson said after Wednesday’s morning practice. “I had been finally in (with USC) for a while, but I was just glad to get it out there.”

Thompson is the 20^th commitment for USC for this year’s class and fifth defensive back. The Gamecocks actually have 22 spots accounted for so they have three spots left for this year’s class, assuming they get all the players that have committed. He is the third commitment in the last week and pushed the Gamecocks’ class to No. 18 in the rankings, according to 247Sports.

Thompson’s future USC and Shrine Bowl teammates are happy to have him aboard for the Gamecocks.

“He is definitely one of the most athletic guys out there on that field,” Chapin center and USC commit Hank Manos said. “He is shifty, got great speed, vision. He has got the whole package.”

Thompson was committed to Virginia Tech but decommited over the summer. He went to several USC games in the fall and had his official visit over the weekend.

The three-star recruit had to work through some academic issues, but said he has them all taken care of and he is qualified.

Thompson said one of the biggest reasons for his decision was the USC coaching staff, especially defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson and coach Will Muschamp.

“The coaching staff helped my decision a lot. Coach T-Rob is one of the best DB coaches in the nation,” Thompson said “He and coach Muschamp are known to get defensive backs in the league, and that is what I am trying to do. I’m trying to make sure my mom never works again. I just want to be successful, and I feel like the best place to do that is South Carolina.”

Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts called Thompson the best player he has coached in his more than 30 years. Knotts said Thompson would instantly upgrade the Gamecocks.

Thompson did a little of everything this year for Dutch Fork, playing receiver, running back and defensive back. He will play either nickel or cornerback for the Gamecocks.

During his senior season, Thompson rushed for 1,368 yards, caught 44 passes for 630 yards and 38 total touchdowns. He also had 27 tackles, an interception and blocked a kick on defense.

Thompson didn’t rule out playing offense and defense at USC.

“I, honestly, think I can play both positions at the highest level,” Thompson said. “I’ll just ask the coaches what they want, and I’ll just do whatever they ask me to do. I have more experience at wide receiver, but I feel like I’m natural at corner.”

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 12:55 PM with the headline "Bryce Thompson commits! Local do-it-all athlete is a Gamecock."