California QB Ryan Hilinski commits to Gamecocks
Originally planning to announce a commitment next month, Ryan Hilinski decided not to wait.
The Orange (Calif.) Lutheran class of 2019 three-star quarterback pledged to South Carolina Wednesday evening fresh off a visit to Columbia for the Gamecocks spring game.
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The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder chooses South Carolina over a top group of schools that also included Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas A&M. He also holds offers from Boise State, Boston College, Duke, Fresno State, Missouri, N.C. State, Northwestern, Rutgers, Utah and Washington State.
Then-offensive coordinator Kurt Roper originally offered Hilinski last September and new quarterbacks coach Dan Werner continued pursuit after getting the job in January.
Hilinsk took his first visit to South Carolina in February as part of an east coast trip to see several schools before his return trip this past weekend.
A polished passer, Hilinski is currently ranked the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the country by Rivals.com and is scheduled to move up to four-star status in the next rankings update.
As a junior, Hilinski completed 296 of 405 passes for 3,767 yards and 33 touchdowns.
He is the ninth commitment to Carolina's 2019 class.
