Out of nowhere
Up until this week, Piedmont (S.C.) Woodmont offensive lineman Malik Young was not on the radar of high-level Division I coaches.
Now, several programs may be dusting off an unwatched tape or popping it back in for a second look after South Carolina stepped forward with an offer to the 6-foot-4, 290-pounder. The Upstate lineman held a single offer from South Carolina State until offensive line coach Shawn Elliott pulled the trigger.
Advertisement
"Honestly, it really came out of nowhere," Young told GamecockCentral.com. "Last time I talked with South Carolina's coaches over the summer, I went to their camp. My head coach has kept in contact with them but I haven't gotten anything else from South Carolina."
What was the athletic lineman's reaction to the big news?
"I was very excited. That's my dream school. That's the school I've always wanted to go to," he explained. "I fell in love with South Carolina when I was in ninth grade. My mom is from Columbia and that's where most of my family lives. I like Steve Spurrier, the football team and the whole program."
Elliott, who recruits the area for USC and is involved with all of South Carolina's offensive line recruiting efforts, has already made an impression on Young.
"He's a good man. He has a lot of passion for his job, I could see that from the camp."
The sleeper lineman described what kind of player he is on the field.
"I'm a hard worker, always humble and I lead by example. My strengths are speed and agility and how big I am. At the next level, I could play guard or tackle."
South Carolina is slated to receive a visit early next week from Young, and it could be the trigger that ends the process early for him if all goes well.
"All I know is I'm going to South Carolina on Tuesday and Marshall's camp on June 8," he said. "I've talked with my parents a little bit. I may commit Tuesday, but I don't know yet. I just want to see what kind of education they have, like the business program. That's what I want to major in. I just want to see what the people are like and the environment down there."
MORE PREMIUM CONTENT FROM GAMECOCKCENTRAL.COM:
If you have any questions about this feature or wish to discuss it, please visit The Insiders ForumClick IN-DEPTH Q&A with four-star KC Crosby in which he talks about negative recruiting, whether or not he would play LB in college, and moreHere to view this Link., Gamecock Central's members-only message board for Gamecock fans.