This week should have been South Carolina’s SEC opener.

This week should have been the Gamecocks welcoming Missouri to Williams-Brice along with close to 80 to 100 recruits and their families to watch the game.

Neither of those things will be happening.

Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Gamecocks won’t be able to have any recruits to visit campus this season and it’s caused South Carolina to tweak its recruiting tactics in a pretty unconventional year.

“Everyone’s dealing with it so we won’t complain. We just have to keep working. It’s a long time until signing day. We tell the staff that all the time: keep recruiting them. Maybe they commit somewhere else, but you have to do a great job continuing to build the relationship not only with the player but also with the parents,” Travaris Robinson. “I like where we are recruiting as far as that’s concerned. But when we can get the guys here I think that’ll be a little better.”

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When the virus essentially shut down the sports world in March, it also shut down the world of in-person recruiting as well.

A dead period was instituted and has been continued through the end of the year, which means no spring visits, no coaches hitting the road in the spring, no summer camps and no in-person visits this fall.

It’s especially interesting for Mike Bobo, who arrived in December, was able to get on the road a little in the winter before the first signing day, but hasn’t since March, which has been a little difficult in evaluating some guys.

“There’s something about going to see a guy too. This guy is supposed to be 6-foot-3, 250 pounds and you get there and he’s 6-foot-1 and a half and he’s only 230 or this guy isn’t listed as this big but he has really long arms. You see these guys in person,” Bobo said. “The key for us is we’re obviously going to evaluate and communicate with these guys. We’re making decisions but at the same time we have to make sure you cross all your Ts and dot all your Is with all the legwork you have to do on the phone.”

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Because they won’t get to host any visits, it means South Carolina will have to get creative again and stay acquainted with Zoom recruiting meetings and trying to make an impression with high schoolers.

Robinson mentioned it’s been difficult because South Carolina’s facilities and campus layout are selling points and recruits can’t see those right now, but commends the job Justin King in making edits and marketing materials to send to players.

“I miss the junior days. I miss sitting down with the family and talking about things and getting a chance to sit there eyeball to eyeball and say how I’m going to affect their son’s life,” Robinson said. “You lose that. You have to do it the best you can. It’s the times we’re living in via Zoom and all those things. It does affect it in some way.”

Bobo mentioned he wouldn’t be shocked to see some mistakes made on the recruiting trail because coaches can’t get out and see players.

“It’s about going and seeing them live and seeing them on the hoof, seeing them play, seeing them practice. How do they respond to coaching?” Bobo said. “A lot of times when you do that as a coach you find guys but a lot of it is taking guys off the list. It’s like, 'This guy’s not a fit for us at South Carolina.’ I think that’s something that’s missing.”

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South Carolina’s 16 commitments in the 2021 class ranks 42nd nationally with two four-star players and the rest three stars.

Even with evaluation being a little harder this year, Will Muschamp still likes where the Gamecocks sit this preseason.

“I feel really good about where we are. We need to continue to address some needs, especially on the back end in the secondary,” he said. “I feel pretty good about where we are offensively. I’d like to add another linebacker and another front guy. We feel pretty good with the guys we’ve got. I think there’s a long time before December and thing there’s a lot of things that can change as we continue to move forward.”