Carlay commits to Carolina: 'Where else would I want to go?'
New South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp continues to make the Palmetto State a priority and it paid off again on Saturday.
Laurens (S.C.) three-star offensive lineman Summie Carlay announced a pledge to the Gamecocks on Twitter following an unofficial visit to the school.
"South Carolina, I've grown up here my whole life, and there's just something special about this place and I just knew I wanted to keep living here and I just knew I wanted to do something special with a great coaching staff," Carlay said moments after announcing his commitment.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Carlay chose the Gamecocks over offers from Coastal Carolina, North Carolina State and Southern Miss.
Carlay was recruited to the Gamecocks by offensive line coach Shawn Elliott, who he immediately connected with.
"Muschamp and Elliott, they just stood out to me," Carlay said. "Everything they do is high intensity and they just want to be the best but they also care about their players. I was just so impressed by everything they've done and I just thought about it, and I've met a lot of people out there on the recruiting trips, and I just thought where else would I want to go but Carolina. It's just been great every time I've been."
Carlay got the opportunity to see Elliott's coaching style up close and personal when he attended the Gamecocks' Saturday morning practice.
"This visit was a lot more laid back than the junior day," Carlay said. "I spent the whole time watching Coach Elliott run his practice with the offensive line and I tell you, man, his level of intensity was what really surpassed my expectations. I've always heard that he's a real intense coach, but that really impressed with how much passion he has for the game and with how much he wants his players to do well. He's a real teacher of the game of football. I loved the whole practice. I saw a lot of similarities between what they did and what my high school does, and that was just another big plus in my mind."
Carlay, ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 18 prospect in South Carolina, will now turn his attention to recruiting others to join him in Columbia.
"That's one thing I'm really looking forward to is being able to tell other guys in this state how great Coach Muschamp, and this staff, is," Carlay said. "And tell them that we're building something special at South Carolina."
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