South Carolina stops in at IMG Academy to check on linebacker target
South Carolina defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clayton White made a run Thursday through IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where there are multiple major prospects standing on every corner. One prospect White has his eyes on is Class of 2023 linebacker Jordan Hall.
Hall (6-2, 225) visited USC for the Auburn game last season and was back for an unofficial visit in early April. He wants to get back for another unofficial visit with Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks this summer and possibly an official visit in the fall.
“Definitely a school I’m still considering, and I definitely plan to go back and see them again hopefully in the summer,” Hall said. “It’s a really good place. It has great people.
“Coach Beamer has brought people in that want to win. It’s a great place.”
White has remained in regular contact with Hall since the recruiting process started. He and Hall have developed a tight recruiting relationship, and that’s a big reason Hall is giving USC a strong look.
“Today I couldn’t really talk to (White) much since this is just an evaluation period, but our conversations in the past, we’ve connected really well,” Hall said. “We’ve had really good conversations about where he sees me fitting in the scheme of the defense and what my role could be if I decide to go there.”
And that role would be to line up in a linebacker spot and just make plays.
“He expressed that I’m really physical and fast to the ball but also patient at the same time,” Hall said. “He said I have very good leadership skills and I’m very vocal on the field, things of that sort.”
Hall has set official visits to Florida for June 4 and Michigan State for June 11. He’s also getting a strong push from Auburn, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Michigan and others. This spring he also made visits to Michigan State, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina.
Hall plans to come out with a top six around June 1 and he’d like to make his decision in July if he can. In April he named a short list of USC, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Miami, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Virginia, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, Penn State and Auburn.
Last season, Hall was in on 87 total tackles with 2 sacks.
D-tackle prospect breaks down interest in USC
Defensive tackle Connor Knight (6-3, 275) of Trussville, Alabama recently named his top 11 schools and USC was on his list. Knight spent three days on campus and in Columbia for the spring game weekend. He is being courted by defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey and area recruiter Jody Wright and has hit it off well with each.
“I have a great relationship with Coach Lindsey, but my relationship with Coach Wright was the main reason why,” Knight said. “We played Madden together when I went down there. Blew him out, too. We had a lot of fun. He’s a fun guy to be around.”
Knight said he also watched Lindsey work with his players at the spring game and he liked how he handled the guys, and how they respond to him.
“He has a great coaching style. You can tell a lot of his players feed off of it too,” Knight said. “I could tell that when I was down there for the spring game. He was down there doing warmups and they were all excited to be around him and bounced off his energy.”
With his size and strength, Knight said Lindsey sees him as an inside run-stuffer for his defensive line.
“They want me to play inside, a one and a three, an inside guy,” Knight said. “I’m real strong. I’m real violent with my hands. I think I’m one of the best, underrated run-stoppers in the nation.”
The other programs on the short list with Knight are Kentucky, Arkansas, Maryland, Jackson State, FAMU, Miami, USF, Missouri, Florida State and Western Kentucky. He also has visited Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Miami.
Knight plans to take official visits to Maryland, Missouri and Houston in June. He’s been talking with Wright and Lindsey about an official to USC as well. Knight added that his plan is to get his recruiting over with by the end of summer.
“They were talking about sometime in June or July,” he said. “I don’t have to take an official to commit there. I could commit there and then take it during the season because it’s not far. And I was just there for two to three days.”
Knight suffered an MCL injury on the opening drive of the first game of last season, but he returned for the final three games. He finished the season with 25 tackles and three sacks.