Rivals250 WR Josh Vann makes things official

South Carolina officially secured its highest-ranked commitment in the 2018 class on Wednesday, as Tucker's Josh Vann inked his letter of intent with the Gamecocks.

The decision to sign early instead of waiting until February was a result of Vann knowing with certainty what his future held.

"I just really did it to get it out of the way, to be honest. There's no point in waiting because I knew this was the school I was going to," Vann told GamecockCentral.com.

The Peach State standout recounted some of the reasons he chose USC initially.

"It felt like home. My mom said she felt like she was on vacation every time she went down there. It did feel like that and I know I can be myself down there. That's the place to be. Of course, I prayed to God about it and he lead the way."

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound wide receiver verbally pledged to South Carolina in August, marking a significant recruiting win for the Gamecocks. Assistant coach Bryan McClendon and head coach Will Muschamp were able to pull Vann out of the Peach State in a head-to-head battle with Georgia.

"Just by them hitting me up here and there, showing that they cared more than football but about me as a person in life. Coach Muschamp's a great coach with what he has going on in the upcoming years. Coach B-Mac is a good recruiter and I know he'll be a good coach now that I've seen him coach a couple times. He'll help me be successful and get better."

Vann also carried offers from Auburn, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, and others. In considering his options, he looked at the big picture, which included his life after football.

"I know once I get there, long-term I want to get my degree in sports medicine so that when football is over with I have something to fall back on. Just playing as a freshman and getting better every day, every week so that when game time comes it will be easy."

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