Damani Staley Picks South Carolina, Follows Footsteps of NFL Father Duce Staley

Roughly 20 years ago, South Carolina had a Staley whose primary objective was to score touchdowns. The Gamecocks are now preparing for a Staley who's all about preventing them.

South Carolina landed its first defensive pledge of the 2017 class Wednesday morning in Damani Staley, a 3-star outside linebacker from Ridge View High School. Staley is the son of former NFL running back Duce Staley, who played his final two years of college ball for the Gamecocks before going on to play 10 years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The younger Staley, listed on his Hudl bio at 6'2" and 215 pounds, is the fourth member of South Carolina's 2017 class. He chose South Carolina over offers from Georgia Tech and East Carolina.

And according to a local interview, the decision wasn't a difficult one, particularly after picking up the offer from the Gamecocks—his very first—on Jan. 22.

"They have been my No. 1 choice ever since they first offered me," Staley told Lou Bezjak of The State. "I always dreamed of going there since I was little."

Gamecocks fans are excited to have a legacy, as Duce Staley was impressive during his stint in a South Carolina uniform. After earning junior college All-American honors during a two-year stint at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi, he went on to rush for 1,582 yards in two seasons at South Carolina, including 1,116 yards his senior year.

Look for the younger Staley to force the exact opposite when he's on the field.

As an outside linebacker with a defensive end's mentality, Staley used his quickness and tenacity to frustrate offensive linemen and earn multiple sacks as a junior. He finished last season at Ridge View with 88 tackles and 21 sacks, according to MaxPreps.com. Add the sacks he had as a sophomore, and he has 27 entering his senior season.

Despite being only 215 pounds, Staley is quite comfortable putting his hands in the dirt and playing as a pass-rushing end. Look for him to be a reliable outside linebacker, however, in Will Muschamp's defense when he arrives on campus. Staley's pass-rushing ability and explosiveness off the line makes him a versatile option in a defensive scheme.

"I'm excited for [Staley]. He is definitely a leader and excited to see him develop," Ridge View coach Parry Parks told The State. "He has all the tools, the frame, motor and skill set. He can be special."

Staley joins a South Carolina class that includes fellow in-state prospect and 3-star tight end Will Register and junior college wide receiver Stephen Guidry, who should stretch the field at 6'4" and 190 pounds. Staley also will be reunited with a former Ridge View player in offensive tackle Dennis Daley, who currently is at Georgia Military College.

If he has the drive his father had, Staley could be one of those athletes who many will forget was a 3-star athlete out of high school. In addition to the 88 tackles and 21 sacks as a junior, Staley—who told The State that he was never pushed into playing for his father's alma mater—recorded 22 tackles for loss and had at least two sacks in a game six times.

Of his 88 tackles, 57 were unassisted. That says a lot about his tackling ability and his overall skill set.

Don't be surprised if South Carolina fans of old are one day speaking just as highly of Damani Staley as they did when Duce Staley was in uniform.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles