Gamecock linebacker target from Alabama gives first South Carolina visit high marks

Linebacker Deuce Spurlock of Madison, Alabama was in the crowd Saturday night for South Carolina’s 46-0 victory over Eastern Illinois. That was a highlight of a three-day stay for him, his mother and sister, who drove in Friday night after his game.

Spurlock (6-2, 200) was offered by the Gamecocks this summer, and this weekend was his first chance to see the program up close.

“It went good. Really enjoyed it. It was an amazing experience and I’d love to do it again, to be honest,” Spurlock said. “I got to talk with coach (Clayton) White. They definitely like me. They like my size and all that type of stuff. Moving forward, we’re just getting to know each other better than we do now.”

Spurlock is rated a three-star in the 247Sports Composite and ranked 102nd among athletes nationally. Last season Spurlock had 89 tackles with 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 5 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. He also caught 17 passes for 493 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Gamecock linebackers coach Clayton White is handling the recruiting and has made Spurlock feel wanted.

“They definitely want me,” Spurlock said. “That’s how it’s kind of going right now. We’re just kind of talking and seeing how everything fills out. Most definitely (building a relationship with them). They are definitely near the top because of how they presented everything, how they brought up everything. The natural environment of the game. Being able to watch the game and being able to experience the type of football fans that they have, that definitely put them pretty high up.”

Spurlock said he wants to schedule a return trip to USC for an official visit. He has not set any other visits for the fall. He said USC, Michigan, Pitt and Mississippi State continue to recruit him the hardest. He’s also drawn some interest from Clemson, which he visited in July.

Spurlock said he does not have a time frame for making his decision.

Recruiting news and notes

▪ Running back Jordan McDonald (6-0 217) of Alpharetta, Georgia announced a top two Sunday night of South Carolina and UCF.

▪ USC offered Class of 2023 WR Tray Tolliver (5-11 170) of Lake City, Florida. He was in for the game Saturday night. He also has offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, USF, UCF and Campbell.

▪ 2023 OT Markee Anderson of Dorman was at the USC game Saturday.

This story was originally published September 6, 2021 at 1:22 PM.