Welcome back, Javon: Gamecocks get Kinlaw back in the fold

Jones County Junior College and former Goose Creek defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw all but announced his pledge for South Carolina as he left his official visit on Sunday afternoon. The highly-rated prospect made it official Wednesday.

Kinlaw announced a commitment to South Carolina from Jones County in Mississippi. He’d been down to the Gamecocks and Southern California after eliminating Alabama from consideration.

“We’re excited about him getting back in the fold,” USC coach Will Muschamp told ESPN. “We needed to get bigger on defense. We needed to have more girth on defense and be more physical in the run game.”

Kinlaw cited his relationship with Muschamp as a big reason for being a part of the program.

“They’re building something special and I want to be a part of it,” he said during an interview on 107.5 The Game. “I like to have a part in the building that he's doing. They’re going to expect me to play.”

Kinlaw (6-6, 330) committed to the Gamecocks before signing day last year, but didn’t qualify and went to Mississippi for junior college. He kept the pledge to USC until November but then opened things up.

At Jones County, Kinlaw had 26 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks in eight games.

Asked about his official visit to Southern Cal, Kinlaw said there was something missing: heat and bugs.

“There are no crickets out there,” he said. “It’s too quiet.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Welcome back, Javon: Gamecocks get Kinlaw back in the fold."