College Football: Grading the South Carolina Gamecocks' 2011 Recruiting Class

South Carolina is absolutely a program on the rise.  With a 9-5 SEC East-winning 2010 season, the Gamecocks look to improve even more in 2011 and beyond.  This recruiting class is poised to give South Carolina the tools to do just that.

The big mystery is still Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 recruit in the country who ESPN stated could be the most hyped recruit of all time.  Clowney seems to be down to South Carolina and Alabama, with most experts predicting him to be a South Carolina lean.  

We will learn more about his decision on Feb. 14.  

Even without him, this class is one for the ages.  Here are some of the standouts of the talented incoming group. 

Kelcy Quarles, DT

Kelcy Quarles

Position: Defensive Tackle, Defensive End

Ht/Wt: 6'4", 265 lbs.

Where he fits in best: Kelcy Quarles will be a versatile member of the defensive line for years to come.  He can play both end and tackle spots, but with a weight of 265, he may be best suited for the end. 

Does it fill a void:  Yes.  South Carolina is thin on the defensive line after losing seniors Ladi Ajiboye and Cliff Matthews. 

Grade:  A.  After leaving high school in 2010, Quarles enrolled in Fork Union Military Academy.  He was around 300 pounds and, as Miller Safrit (of Scout.com) put it,"lazy and soft."  Safrit changed his tune though after the season Quarles had at FU, saying he, "is the best prep school prospect in the country and very close to a five star status." 

Brandon Shell, OL

Brandon Shell

Position: Offensive Line

Ht/Wt: 6'7", 310 lbs.

Where he fits in best:  Brandon Shell will be a left tackle, the most important offensive line position.  He will eventually be an elite left tackle, something South Carolina has not had in years. 

Does it fill a void:  Yes.  I am not sure "void" is the right word, but the line needs talented players such as Shell in order to improve.   

Grade:  A+.  Depending on which direction Clowney goes, this is the steal of South Carolina's deep class.  He has huge size and fantastic athleticism.  

Sheldon Royster, DB

Brandon Royster

Position: Defensive Back, Running Back

Ht/Wt: 5'11", 190 lbs.

Where he fits in best:  Royster will be a safety for South Carolina.  He played running back at St. Peter's Prep school.  

Does it fill a void:  Yes.  South Carolina needs help in a secondary that was one of the worst in the SEC last year. 

Grade:  B.  A very physical player, Royster has the ability to be a great, hard-hitting safety.  He may be a project for a year or so, as he hasn't had much experience as a safety, but he will turn into a great player for the Gamecocks. 

Gerald Dixon Jr., DT

Gerald Dixon Jr. 

Position: Defensive Tackle

Ht/Wt: 6'1", 270 lbs. 

Where he fits in best: This Dixon brother is a defensive tackle, period.  

Does it fill a void: Yes.  This is a stocky, traditional defensive tackle.  In high school, he showed the ability to not only make plays in the run game, but a knack for sacking the quarterback from the defensive tackle position. 

Grade:  B+.  Rated lowly by both Scout.com and Rivals, this is a good, productive high school player from a large state championship school.  He will come in with a chip on his shoulder, with his star brother and Clowney's teammate Gerald Dixon (yep, same name), as well as his father's name following him.  

I expect big things from Gerald.   

Shamier Jeffery, WR

Shamier Jeffery

Position: Wide Receiver, Quarterback

Ht/Wt: 6'2", 180 lbs.

Where he fits in best:  Alshon's younger brother, Shamier Jeffery, will follow in his brother's footsteps as a wide receiver, even though he was a star quarterback in high school.  

Does it fill a void:  No.  Even though South Carolina loses Tori Gurley to the NFL draft, they have a deep wide receiving group.  

Grade:  A.  Some have called him a faster version of Alshon.  Enough said. 

Shon Carson, RB

Shon Carson

Position: Running Back

Ht/Wt: 5'9", 195 lbs. 

Where he fits in best:  Shon Carson will be a running back, but don't be surprised if he gets involved elsewhere. 

Does it fill a void:  Yes.  With Marcus Lattimore and Kenny Miles, South Carolina looks as though they have a solid back field, but there is no depth.  Carson will be an immediate contributor, and could have a big impact.   

Grade:  A.  A 4-star prospect, many wondered why a back like him would choose South Carolina when they seem so set at running back.  His junior season, he had 2,146 yards rushing with 33 touchdowns.  He will push Kenny Miles for the second spot in the depth chart and has been compared to Percy Harvin.  He has great hands and will certainly be an offensive asset. 

Phillip Dukes, DT

Phillip Dukes

Position: Defensive End, Defensive Tackle

Ht/Wt: 6'2", 295 lbs. 

Where he fits in best:  Like Quarles, Phillip Dukes will be a versatile member of the defensive line.  Again, he can play both end and tackle spots, and he has a bit more weight on him than Quarles, so he may predominantly play defensive tackle.

Does it fill a void:  Yes.  As previously stated, the defensive line is pretty thin. 

Grade:  A+.  A tremendous athlete for his size, Dukes has the skill set to be a star in the SEC.  He plays with a great deal of leverage, but needs to add a few more moves to his arsenal.  He should play as a freshman. 

Damiere Byrd, WR

Damiere Byrd

Position: Wide Receiver, Kick Returner

Ht/Wt: 5'10", 160 lbs.

Where he fits in best:  Damiere Byrd runs a 4.24 40-yard dash.  South Carolina is desperate for a return man.  Look for him to be potentially featured in both the kick and punt return games next year. 

Does it fill a void:  Yes.  Byrd is a natural return man with elusiveness and speed. 

Grade:  B.  Potential game-breaker as a return man, Byrd does lack some of the hand skills to be a great all-around receiver.  He probably will not get much time at wide receiver as a freshmen and will be a possible red-shirt if his return skills need some refinement.        

Tanner McEvoy, QB

Tanner McEvoy

Position: Quarterback, Wide Receiver, Safety

Ht/Wt: 6'5", 210 lbs. 

Where he fits in best: He wants to play quarterback.  He will get his shot. 

Does it fill a void: No.  South Carolina has a senior QB in Stephen Garcia and a pretty good backup in sophomore Connor Shaw.   

Grade:  B+.  This prospect is one I will be interested in following.  Just reading his various profiles on the different recruiting sites is confusing. 

On Rivals.com, he is listed as an athlete. 

On Scout.com, he is a wide receiver. 

He is listed on South Carolina's recruiting list as a quarterback. 

Truth is, he could have success doing any of these, but he seems to have the most upside as a quarterback.  He has the ideal size and 4.6 speed.  Not Mike Vick fast, but fast enough to make you pay with his feet.  

Gerald Dixon, DE

Gerald Dixon

Position: Defensive End

Ht/Wt: 6'2", 255 lbs. 

Where he fits in best: Gerald Dixon is a pure defensive end. 

Does it fill a void: Yes. Once again, defensive line was a focus with this class. 

Grade:  A++.  More than 170 tackles.  19.5 sacks.  All those numbers, you would assume he was the beast on his high school team. 

Nope.

He plays on the other side of a line with none other than Clowney himself.  So, how did he manage to get so many sacks with a monster like him closing in? 

According to his coach, if it wasn't for Clowney, he would have gotten even more praise and accolades.  A completely underrated recruit (three stars by Rivals, two stars by Scout.com), Dixon will be a star in the league.  Write that down.  

Jerelle Adams, TE

Jerelle Adams

Position: Tight End, Defensive End

Ht/Wt: 6'5", 220 lbs. 

Where he fits in best: Jerelle Adams will be used as a tight end. 

Does it fill a void: Yes.  The loss of Pat DiMarco will hurt the tight end position. 

Grade:  B.  Adams is a pass-catching tight end in the mold of ex-South Carolina star Jared Cook.  He is faster than Cook was, but a bit smaller.  I look for him to immediately take the No. 2 spot at tight end and to be used in the passing game frequently. 

Overall Recruiting Class Grade: A+

Come on, Clowney.

Overall Grade:  A+

South Carolina did a tremendous job with its recruiting class.  Even without Clowney (at this point), it is a class that addressed the needs of the team. 

Positional Breakdown:

QB: 2

RB: 2

TE: 3

WR: 3

OL: 6

DL: 5

LB: 5

DB: 5

There is not one area where South Carolina did not address a need. 

If Clowney joins the group in February, this class will be one of the best South Carolina has ever had, even if it is short on star power.  The Gamecocks added beef, as this is one of the largest classes they have ever had; 13 players are 6'4" or bigger, and eight players are 270 pounds or more. 

Strategically recruited class by coach Spurrier. 

For more on recruiting and Signing Day, check out this link.