Muschamp previews a massive recruiting weekend

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

In Will Muschamp’s three-plus years at South Carolina, he’s had his fair share of big in-season recruiting weekends. There were handful in his first two years, then the Georgia game last year, but the Gamecocks are gearing up for one of the biggest ones this weekend.

South Carolina takes on No. 2 Alabama in the CBS game of the week Saturday, and Muschamp said on his call-in show Thursday the Gamecocks are expecting triple-digit prospects this weekend.

“We’re having guys in from the 2021 class and 22 class,” he said. “We have guys as ninth graders as guys we’ve targeted in the recruitment process. We’ll have over probably 100 prospects. If they bring parents, you’re talking close to 400 people we’ll entertain on Saturday. We take them to our new facility.”

Also see: Full recap from Thursday's call-in show

Muschamp said it’s an absolutely massive weekend for recruiting with a lot of priority targets expected on campus this weekend.

He did say they expect a raucous crowd that should help sell recruits on wanting to play in Columbia, but there’s also plenty planned as well.

Muschamp can’t talk specifically about a recruit, but did explain the schedule of events during game days.

It starts at the new operations building where the recruits get hosted pregame before making their way over to Williams-Brice to watch pregame warm-ups on the field and then the game.

That’ll change next year, though, after the over $20-million renovations are finished at the stadium before the start of next season.

“We’re redoing the south end of the stadium after the season, we’ve already started that project now,” Muschamp said. “We do everything at our facility and bring them over after gamecock walk and when we go on the field. Matt Lindsey and his staff with Jessica Jackson, they do a fantastic job of managing all that.”

Also see: Baseball scoop from fall practice

During the visit, the Gamecocks get to hear from people who explain what South Carolina has to offer athletically and academically and get some insight from former players and parents who can give another aspect of what to expect once their son gets to campus.

It was part of an effort from Muschamp to get more former players involved in the program; the Gamecocks also have a former player’s locker room at the new facility for guys who want to return to Columbia and workout in the new space.

They also have Marcus Lattimore as the Director of Player Development to help talk with recruits and their parents.

“I got here and you look at some of the great players that have gone on to the National Football League and some who aren’t playing anymore, my question for all of them was, ‘Why Carolina?’” Muschamp said. “Why’d you come here? To be able to put our former players up on the big board during the game and be able to put their parents by Marcus Lattimore, you look at the different parents up there talking about why they want their son coming to South Carolina. That’s been a huge help in the recruiting process.”

Also see: Getting to know Alabama behind enemy lines

The Gamecocks kick off against the Tide at 3:30 p.m. on CBS as the SEC’s marquee matchup of the day.