NC O-lineman Will Putnam officially signs with USC

Offensive lineman Will Putnam out of Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, N.C. has signed with South Carolina.

Putnam (6-5, 282) played tackle in high school but is expected to play guard or center for the Gamecocks.

He committed to South Carolina under Steve Spurrier’s staff and considered opening up his recruitment when Spurrier resigned, but when Shawn Elliott was retained it sealed the deal for Putnam to sign with USC.

“As an offensive line coach, he can get the best out of you. He’s really fiery. He won’t let me slack or anything. He’ll push me to my limits,” Putnam said. “He messaged me one day and said I’m staying here and I’m coaching you and that just took a huge amount of stress off my back.”

Putnam committed to the Gamecocks last July, choosing USC over Virginia Tech.

He also received interest from N.C. State and North Carolina.

He is considered to be a three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 8:12 AM with the headline "NC O-lineman Will Putnam officially signs with USC."