USC offered three-star DE Quency Wiggins (6-6 265) of Baton Rouge, LA in January, and the Gamecocks have made it clear to him they is a place for him in Columbia. Wiggins said he’s been talking with new defensive coordinator Clayton White and defensive ends coach Mike Peterson, and he’s been very interested with what they have had to say.
“They want to make sure I’m a player they can get,” Wiggins said. “Make sure I’m comfortable with everything. Make sure I’m not a player who is just going to stay in state. And I told them I’m not. I’m a player who is going to the best school possible, and they are just trying to make sure that I know that that’s the best school for me. I’m getting along good with them and building a relationship.”
USC is one of several SEC programs that have offered Wiggins, including hometown, so the Gamecocks don’t have exclusive rights to the league in recruiting him. But that league is still a factor in their favor.
“They are in one of the the toughest conferences in college football, so that stood out a lot to me,” Wiggins said. ‘I’ve been thinking about all of these schools and South Carolina was one of them. They pull in a lot of recruits and send a lot to the league.”
Wiggins totaled 45 tackles with 11 sacks last season. He can be moved around on defense, and he deployed in a variety of ways. That was noted to him by the Gamecock coaches.
“They love my versatility, they love that I can do everything,” Wiggins said. “I would fit right in. Whatever they need me to do, I’m there.”
Wiggins plans to sign early, but he has enough time to go thru the process and evaluate all of his options. At this point, no favorites have emerged.
“I haven’t thought about that,” Wiggins said. “They haven’t lifted the Dead Period so I can go to any schools. Hopefully they will lift that soon so I can learn about these schools and then I will get to thinking about which ones I want to attend.”
Wiggins also has offers from LSU, Auburn, Kentucky, Texas Tech, Baylor, Southern Cal, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan, Louisville and others.
Wiggins is ranked as the #31 strongside defensive end nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He’s ranked the #24 prospect in Louisiana.
