SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Roswell (Ga.) class of 2020 three-star tight end John Copenhaver didn't know whether to expect a scholarship from South Carolina when he visited for its junior day Saturday, but after talking to head coach Will Muschamp he left Columbia with his first SEC offer.
"I was just truly happy, excited," Copenhaver said. "It's a big, huge SEC school, big football, so I was just truly amazed."
Copenhaver is being recruited to Carolina by tight ends coach Bobby Bentley, but spent Saturday with his family getting to know the entire football staff.
"Definitely, just how all the coaches interact with you," Copenhaver said of what stood out. "It's not just your position coach or just the OC, it's all of them. It's special teams, it's defense, it's linebackers, it's everyone. The trainers that walk you through show great hospitality. The strength and conditioning coach was awesome. They're really interactive, they're great."
The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder says he and Bentley have also continued to get to know each other.
"I think we have a strong relationship right now and it's only going to get stronger," Copenhaver said. "He's been really good to me. He's a great guy and he's a great person. He's really honest."
Copenhaver enjoyed his first look at South Carolina's new $50-plus million football operations center.
"That thing is crazy," Copenhaver said. "Probably the food [stood out]. Where you workout, you can get shakes. Preworkout shakes, postworkout shakes. There's one right outside of the locker room and one inside the weight room where there are nutrition bars. It's awesome, you can just text them and say you need something and they'll have it ready for you before class."
Copenhaver also holds offers from N.C. State, Wake Forest, Louisville, Boston College, Purdue, Kansas, Tulane and Kent State. He's hearing from Wisconsin, North Carolina and Nebraska and plans visits to N.C. State, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Purdue and Nebraska soon.
Copenhaver claims no leaders and hopes to try and commit before his senior season.
