What stands out about Gamecocks? SC’s top recruit for 2021 breaks down top schools
The top-ranked recruit in the state of South Carolina is nearing a decision.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins of Gaffney High School announced his top six schools last month and told The State recently that a commitment could come as early as sometime in August.
The four-star prospect is enjoying the recruiting process and building relationships, but he has also just about made his choice and is getting close to being ready to announce it.
Ingram-Dawkins is rated as the No. 17 defensive tackle and No. 284 overall player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
“I don’t know how soon, but I know it’s going to be pretty soon. Maybe in the next month. I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s not that I want it to be over. But I’m just getting close to knowing where I want to go, so why wait? Just go ahead and make the decision,” Ingram-Dawkins said, before clarifying his timeline. “Probably late August, early September maybe.”
The final six for Ingram-Dawkins are Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
He has visited all of those schools other than North Carolina and Alabama, and he would have made trips there as well if not for the coronavirus. Even though Ingram-Dawkins has not visited UNC or Alabama, he has plenty of knowledge about the programs and campuses thanks to Zoom video calls.
“What set these six schools apart is, I want to go to a place where I’m a priority and where I’m wanted. And those six schools really made me feel like I’m wanted and needed at their school. So that’s what really made those six schools special out of all of them,” Ingram-Dawkins said. “They have a really good plan in place for how I want to play. So that’s what made all six of those schools special.”
Ingram-Dawkins did not name a leader but did discuss what he likes about each school, including the in-state Gamecocks:
Alabama — “I mean Alabama is Alabama, one of the top dogs in the SEC, Southeastern Conference. What I like about Alabama is they produce a lot of great d-linemen. A lot of d-linemen that I look up to like Quinnen Williams, Da’Ron Payne, Raekwon Davis, Jonathan Allen. They produce a lot of good d-linemen. It’s a school with tradition. Coach [Nick] Saban, he’s made history a lot of times. So that’s what makes Alabama big in my recruitment. And for them to be who they are, they’re coming at me really hard, so that’s what makes them very special.”
Georgia — “I like Georgia because Athens is a great town. It’s a great school. They’re also one of the top dogs in the SEC. That coaching staff is unbelievable, coach Kirby Smart, coach [Tray] Scott and that whole defensive staff. They just have a good culture. Great, great defense. So that’s what makes them stand out. They just have a great coaching staff and I just love what I’ve seen from the University of Georgia.”
North Carolina — “What makes them very special is their recruits. At first in my recruitment, I didn’t really have a tight relationship with North Carolina. But the recruits, I have built a tight relationship with them. I met a lot of their recruits at a camp and we just became friends. So me and the recruits they have committed, we have a tight relationship. That’s what makes North Carolina so special. I have built a tight relationship with their defensive staff also.”
South Carolina — “What makes them so special, that’s my home-state school. So that’s what really stands out about them out of everybody. Coach [Will] Muschamp, me and him have developed a great relationship in the last year. I like the tradition they have. I like the coaching staff. So what really makes South Carolina stand out, they’re my home-state school and just the tight relationship me and coach Muschamp have.”
Tennessee — “What makes them standout, I mean they were one of the first schools to show interest in me throughout my recruitment. Me and coach [Chris] Weinke and the whole defensive staff and coach [Jeremy] Pruitt, we built a good relationship early on. So that’s what makes them special.”
Virginia Tech — “What makes Virginia Tech so good, my family really already loved Virginia. So that’s what made them so good. Every time we go up there we always have a good time and have fun at the university. What makes them so special, they have two defensive line coaches, coach (Bill Teerlink) and coach (Darryl) Tapp. They’re both really good people. They’ve been keeping it real with me. I would say that’s one of the biggest things Virginia Tech did. They’ve kept it real since Day 1.”
