An active Wednesday night in recruiting left USC adding a primary defensive line target to the 2021 class but losing out on a primary offensive line target. The Gamecocks received a commitment from DT Nick Barrett (6-3 325) of Goldsboro, NC. But they missed on OT Micah Morris of Kingsland, GA when he announced a commitment to Georgia.
Barrett picked the Gamecocks over offers from Duke, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, East Carolina, Liberty, Coastal Carolina and Virginia. He visited USC for the Clemson game in November and returned for a junior day in February. After that, USC head coach Will Muschamp and his assistants made Barrett a primary target and kept up regular contact with him.
Those conversations included a plan for how they would USC Barrett on the defensive line. He expects to be one of those tackles that moves around to two or three spots on the line.
“I see myself playing anywhere from the zero to the three technique,” Barrett said. “The coaches say I could be a big part of their defense. They like that I can move and I can use my hands. He (Muschamp) said I’m a big, powerful strong guy.”
Last season Barrett had 70 tackles with 15 sacks. He’s rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and he’s the fourth commitment for the Gamecocks’ 2021 class.
USC was one of the first major offers for Morris, and he visited USC six times over the recruiting process, including for the junior day January 18th. He had named USC as one of his five finalists along with Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Florida State.
