South Carolina just offered in-state recruit at camp. He’s coming back for another visit

In-state recruit Jaquel Holman of Blackville-Hilda High camped at South Carolina a week ago and earned a scholarship offer from head coach Shane Beamer after running some very quick times.

Holman (6-2, 200) had planned to camp at Clemson earlier this week, but his ankle was bothering him and he chose not to attend.

That meant Holman has been home all week. On Saturday, however, the Class of 2025 athlete is going to crash the Gamecocks’ official visit weekend with an unofficial visit of his own, and he’s bringing his parents with him.

“I want Shane Beamer to meet my family and my family to meet Shane Beamer,” Holman said. “Meet the coaching staff, see the facilities and talk about how my next three to four years could potentially go if I was to go to South Carolina, and see where their heads are at. I just want my parents to see that. That’s really it.”

What his parents have to say about South Carolina, and about the other schools recruiting Holman, will have an impact on his ultimate decision.

“My parents just want me to make the best decision for myself, make sure this is what you want to do,” Holman said. “They are really going off of me. They just want me to feel comfortable. They basically want to see how big the coaches are on school work. That’s really what they care about. They are more on academics, and they are just really going off me as for as sports.

“They are like, ‘You are sure this what you want to do? If this is what you want to do, I’m with you.’ ... That’s why we are going to go around and see what’s going to separate these colleges from each other. That’s really what my parents want to see.”

With an offer from the Gamecocks in hand, and with a trip back to the campus Saturday with his parents, this would set up as a perfect situation for Holman to make his commitment. But, he’s not at that point.

“No, not really. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet,” Holman said. “I ain’t ready yet. Not yet, not yet, not yet. I like them, but not yet. I ain’t seen enough yet. I was going to commit in July, but not so much July now because there are a lot of schools waiting to offer me. I’m trying to see what the future might bring. I really don’t know now. It was going to be July, but I really don’t know.

“I’ve just trying to see what the process is going to bring. See, my recruiting process didn’t start until a little later than everybody else, so I’m trying to give it a little bit of time. My commitment is going to be a little slower because my recruitment was a little slower than everybody’s. I’m going to have to wait it out right now.”

The Gamecocks continue to do their work with Holman. He said linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Clayton White must have talked to him five or six times this week.

“He was just checking up on me to see how I’m feeling and how the family is doing,” Holman said. “One thing I like, they haven’t pressured me to commit. They say, ‘We’re ready whenever you are ready.’ That’s why I really like them also because they aren’t pressuring me to commit. At the end of the day, I’m going to make the best decision for myself. I’m going to talk it over with my family, what they think about it, and that’s it. If it’s the Gamecocks, if it’s not the Gamecocks, I’m just going to make the best decision for myself. That’s all I can do.”

Holman has an official visit scheduled to Liberty for June 14. Pitt also wants to bring him in for an official visit, but they want him to come to a camp first. He’s not sure he can do that right now because of the expense of a trip to Western Pennsylvania. He also talked to Appalachian State on Thursday.