USC latest to offer Fla. DT

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Miramar (Fla.) Everglades defensive lineman Uriah Grant now has four major offers on the table, with the South Carolina Gamecocks becoming the latest team to throw its hat into the ring.

"I have offers from Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and my newest offer is from South Carolina," the 6-foot, 260-pound Grant said. "I also like Florida and LSU."

Currently, the Pitt Panthers are the team to beat for Grant, who racked up 60 tackles and 14 sacks as a junior.

"I have Pitt as my highest choice because they have been on me from the very beginning. Coach (Charlie) Partridge and Coach (Dave) Wannstedt came by the school to see me, and I think they're going to do good things up there. They also just had some players drafted into the NFL."

South Carolina is the newcomer to the party, but they also made a strong impression on Grant.

"Steve Spurrier, of course, is a great coach. They weren't so good when he got there, and he got them to second in the SEC East in his first year. They've put a lot of players into the NFL lately, and I think they're going to win a lot of games with Spurrier there now. Coach (Robert) Gillespie came by the school to see me."

LSU and Florida round out the list of schools Grant was asked to comment on.

"Florida has a good program, and one of their coaches came by the school to see me. LSU puts a lot of guys into the NFL, and their stadium is one of the best in the country. Coach (Les) Miles is a younger head coach, so he can relate to the players."

Grant, who bench presses 375 pounds and turned in an impressive 4.35 second shuttle time at the Miami MIKE Camp, will choose his school based on three aspects of each program.

"Academics, prestige of the program, and the closeness of the players on the team. I want to be a part of a family wherever I end up."

A decision could be on the horizon.

"I plan to commit by the middle of the summer if I'm ready. I'm going to take a lot of trips to the different schools to see what everything is like, and then I'll pick if I'm ready. Like I said, Pitt is on top and then South Carolina and Wisconsin are behind them."

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