Marlon Character to South Carolina: Gamecocks Land 4-Star DB Prospect

Steve Spurrier landed his first blue-chip defensive back ahead of the 2016 season after Marlon Character committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Rivals.com's Woody Wommack first reported the news:

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Character is the No. 13 safety in the 2016 recruiting class. He ranks 275th overall and 22nd in the state of Georgia. The Atlanta native likely sealed the deal after visiting the South Carolina campus Saturday:

Character spoke about the motivation behind his decision.

"I will be able to play five positions, and there’s more opportunity to get on the field and showcase my talent," per Phil Kornblut of the State in Columbia, South Carolina. "[Co-defensive coordinator Lorenzo] Ward is not afraid to play freshmen at corner. I would be one of the biggest ones he has."

According to Scout, Character was timed at 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash. While that's not blinding speed, he should be plenty quick enough to thrive at safety—should he play there instead of cornerback.

More importantly, he's strong enough to wrap up on follow-through on his tackles. Character also possesses the agility and on-field IQ to quickly react and adapt to how a play is unfolding.

The biggest knock on Character is arguably his pass coverage. As a safety, he won't need to drop back in man-to-man coverage on every play, but his coaches will at least want to feel confident that he will be able to do so effectively when necessary.

In a way, struggling in coverage isn't the worst thing in the world. The right coaching staff can turn that around. Meanwhile, Character's instincts and physical tools are what really counts.

His desire to play right away could mean Character provides an immediate impact when he joins the Gamecocks next year.