The Brandon McIlwain Show: QB’s efforts, positive reviews benefit the Gamecocks

Everybody Loves Brandon.

No, that’s not the title of television’s newest hit sitcom. It better describes the reviews that coaches, recruits and analysts are giving South Carolina football commitment Brandon McIlwain this spring and summer.

The four-star quarterback from Newtown, Pa., is in the middle of an active stretch that peaks in July at The Opening and Elite 11 finals and includes multiple stops at USC camps to work out and be around other prospects.

McIlwain is receiving high praise as a person and a player. His exploits provide a jolt of positive momentum for a Class of 2016 USC recruiting class still in its infancy with five commitments, according to Barton Simmons, national analyst for 247Sports.

“To have a quarterback that is competing at Elite 11 finals, is making noise on the camp circuits, sort of validating himself as an elite player, that’s the one area that the hype culture can have a tangible impact on a recruiting class,” Simmons said. “Brandon McIlwain is a guy that has that ability to continue to be a foundation and a building block for this class.”

A busy run started for McIlwain in early June with the school year still in progress. A two-sport star, he helped lead the Council Rock North baseball team to a district title and the state championship quarterfinals.

He added two baseball showcase events to an “offseason” that already included a national 7-on-7 football competition and other expected happenings, including Council Rock North’s annual training camp. Toss in a calculus class that McIlwain needs to graduate in December, and it’s one packed summer schedule.

McIlwain will make stops in California, Florida, Oregon, South Carolina, Massachusetts and home in Pennsylvania. The greatest impact on USC’s future is likely to come from his Elite 11 success and visits to Columbia.

“A lot of things with baseball have come up that have made it even busier,” he said. “I definitely planned on coming down and visiting South Carolina a few times, but the baseball parts have made it a lot busier than I expected.”

Elite experience

A day after his baseball season ended, McIlwain boarded a plane for the Elite 11 semifinals in Los Angeles. It was there that he won MVP honors in the quarterback competition and earned an invite to July’s finals at The Opening.

247Sports’ Simmons was on hand at the two-day semifinals for Elite 11, where former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer serves as coach. McIlwain had an an average opening day throwing against air but followed that with a standout finale performance – Simmons called it flawless – when a defense was introduced to the live action.

“Brandon was phenomenal in that setting. He made some really special throws and was decisive in his reads,” Simmons said. “His ability to be a gamer and be a competitor served him well. For a kid that is athletic as he is in multiple sports, he has a strong arm, he’s very mobile. He proved he’s one of the upper-tier quarterbacks in the class.”

McIlwain credited his Elite 11 performance, in part, to an improved diet and workout plan. He has been training back home with former NFL player Vaughn Hebron. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, McIlwain is 25 pounds lighter than he was a year ago.

“It’s made a humongous difference to my overall health and my weight as well,” he said. “I can see myself getting faster and more flexible. It’s paying off in all aspects of my game.”

It was the first time Simmons had seen McIlwain perform in person in a year, and everyone was impressed with his athleticism and personable attitude, the analyst said.

“That Elite 11 staff and Trent Dilfer in particular, a lot of those coaches couldn’t say enough about how bullish they are on Brandon in terms of him being a baseball guy and still having the opportunity to focus on the position and what a great person he is character-wise,” Simmons said. “He’s clearly got it together from the neck up. All of those things are big-time pluses and positive indicators for his future.”

The Opening and Elite 11 finals happening alongside each other July 5-10 at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., and feature 166 of the nation’s top prospects.

Helping the Gamecocks

McIlwain committed to South Carolina on New Year’s Eve, but his efforts this spring and summer might yield the biggest returns for the Gamecocks and their 2016 recruiting class.

He threw at the one-day Steve Spurrier Football Camp on June 12 and participated in the Gamecock Showcase the next day. He’ll return again in late July for one more USC camp experience.

“It’s great for me to get more coaching,” said McIlwain, who was recruited by quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus. “There are amazing coaches at South Carolina. It’s one of the big reasons I committed.”

McIlwain camping at USC also gets him around other prospects who might be thinking of joining him in this class or beyond. When he’s at home in the Northeast, he is a USC advocate to those in the area being recruited by the Gamecocks. And he’ll reach out to other could-be future teammates through Twitter or text messages.

“That is an absolute essential piece of every recruiting class,” Simmons said. “You’ve got to get a quarterback committed early that’s going to be an advocate for the program, sort of a voice or extension of the coaching staff. That is invaluable when you are talking about building and developing a recruiting class.”

Several recruits sang McIlwain’s praises after June’s camps, including wide receiver commit Bryan Edwards of Conway.

Both will be at The Opening next month, and the two had the chance to work together for the first time at the Gamecock Showcase.

“My man has a strong arm. I remember the first ball he threw to me, I dropped it. I wasn’t expecting it,” Edwards said. “He’s a great person and an even better person to be around. When you get on the field with a quarterback like that, with that high level of talent, it makes you want to come to South Carolina even more.”

Connection and commitment

McIlwain’s connection to the Palmetto State extends beyond his commitment to the Gamecocks.

His grandmother lives in Irmo, and he has family throughout South Carolina and the Southeast. His father, Roddy, was born in Columbia and is a USC graduate.

It’s a serious summer with almost no breaks, but McIlwain will take a one-week vacation with family in Charleston in late July, just before Council Rock North’s preseason practice begins in August.

He still has a senior season to play, but he won’t stop helping build the Gamecocks’ 2016 class. His commitment is rock solid, McIlwain said, and he hasn’t taken a recruiting call from another school in months.

McIlwain can’t help but look forward to his time at USC, which should start in January. He is a 4.0 student with plans to be a political science major at USC, on the road to getting a joint business and law degree afterward.

“It definitely excites me that I’m able to do everything I can to help South Carolina and helps us be as great as we can be,” he said. “I am really in for what’s best for the school. I love the area and I love my family in the area. I love the coaching staff. I love coach Spurrier, but I also love the school.”

This story was originally published June 27, 2015 at 8:20 PM.