A prospect’s journey to a commitment can take any number of paths. For Carvers Bay product DE Byron Young (6-3 240), who now attends Georgia Military Academy, his started a couple of weeks ago when defensive coordinator Rob Manchester sent out practice film to a number of coaches he knows. The result was a slew of offers from major colleges, including one from USC that came in on Wednesday morning.
“We had practice and my film from practice blew up a little big,” Young said. “It got a lot of attention. And Coach Manchester started sending it out to coaches. It went from there. He sent it to Tennessee and they really liked it. It started with Tennessee.”
Other offers came in from Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia and the one from the Gamecocks.
“They started talking to me last Wednesday,” Young said. “They told me they liked my film. Will Muschamp told me that. Then they called me this morning (Wednesday). I was very happy. That’s the hometown. I was very excited.”
Young also has chatted with Gamecocks defensive ends coach Mike Peterson.
“He said he loved my tape,” Young said. “My energy, my speed and the way I get off blocks.”
Young graduated from Carvers Bay in 2017 with no football in his immediate future. He was not picked for the Shrine Bowl or the Touchstone Energy Bowl North-South Game. He stayed home in 2018 and worked while taking three online classes. He then enrolled at GMA in January of 2019. Last season Young recorded 31 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and 7 sacks.
Young will not play in the spring season with the Bulldogs opting to graduate in December and enroll at his next school in January. That will leave him three season of eligibility at the next level.
Young said he plans to make his commitment the end of this month. He’s not visited any of the schools that have offered, so he has some due diligence to do.
“I’m going to have to do a lot of research myself.”
USC has done well recruiting GMA over the years. Two current Gamecocks are graduates, and one of their 2021 commitments is GMA cornerback Marcellas Dial.
