Florida athlete breaks commitment to Gamecocks, says USC still a top school
South Carolina has lost another commitment from its recruiting class.
West Florida Tech athlete Simeon Price announced Monday night that he is opening up his recruitment. He is the second Class of 2021 recruit, joining receiver Rodarius Thomas, to decommit since Will Muschamp was fired on Nov. 15.
“I’ve decided to reopen my recruitment. South Carolina will still be a top school for me moving forward,” Price posted on Twitter.
Price committed to USC on July 1. He also had offers from Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan State, Nebraska, Mississippi State and Louisville. Clemson also showed interest. Price’s father, Mitchell, played in the NFL for four seasons from 1990-93 with the Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams and and Arizona Cardinals. He also was an All-American track athlete in high school.
247Sports ranks Price as a three-star prospect. This season, Price has 15 catches for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an interception on defense.
South Carolina is trying to hold together a recruiting class during the coaching search. It’s not uncommon for a team to lose commitments before and after a new hire. Mike Bobo is currently the interim head coach, and he and his staff have been reaching out to recruits.
Price’s departure drops the Gamecocks class to 14 players out of a possible 21 spots. The early signing period begins Dec 16.
In the case of Price, he confirmed he’s keeping the Gamecocks on his short list. He just wants to see what happens with the coaching search and with some other opportunities coming his way.
“Before I put it on Twitter, I called coach (Bobby) Bentley to talk for a little bit,” Price said. “I told him about the uncertainty I had with who they may bring in and how long it may take. I just wanted to open things up and make sure I’m analyzing all my options moving forward.”
The USC class was ranked 47th nationally, as of Monday night, in the 247Sports Composite that factors in all networks.
Price said he heard from Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia Tech “almost immediately when the news came out that coach Muschamp had been fired.”
Price, who also runs tracks, said he will not sign until February
What concerns him about the Gamecocks’ future — who the new coach will be and when he will be hired — is no doubt shared with others in the 2021 class who are uncertain about their future plans. Price said Bentley couldn’t give him any hard and fast answers on the who or the when.
“He said maybe a couple of weeks. He didn’t tell me an accurate timeline because he didn’t know, and that’s totally understandable,” Price said. “He just said as soon as they get one, he would let me know. And he let me know my offer is still on the table with South Carolina.”
— Phil Kornblut contributed to this story
South Carolina’s 2021 class
RB Caleb McDowell
WR Sam Reynolds
WR Omega Blake
WR Derwin Burgess
OL Jordan Davis
DL George Wilson
DL Nick Barrett
DL TJ Sanders
LB Bryce Steele
DB Jayden Johnson
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 9:56 PM.
