USC receivers coach Justin Stepp has his eye on an up-and-coming prospect from Florida in WR Daidren Zipperer (6-1 175) of Lakeland. If the last name is familiar, it’s because his brother is a tight end at Florida. The younger Zipperer is starting to get more recruiting attention, and the Gamecocks are one of his most recent Power Five offers.
Zipperer wasn’t originally a top target for Stepp as he evaluated the landscape of receivers for the ’23 class. But old-fashioned recruiting work has him there now. It all started between him and the Gamecocks when recruiter Torrian Gray stopped by the school.
“Coach Gray came to my school and watched my film,” Zipperer said. “He said he was going to send it to the receivers coach. I guess coach Stepp liked it and I talked to Coach Stepp, and he kept recruiting me. At the spring game, the linebackers coach (Clayton White) was there, and I had a big game, four receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns. After that, Coach Stepp called and talked about how he liked me and said he was offering me a scholarship to the University of South Carolina. We then talked about how we need to get closer to each other and get to know each other more.”
They will get the chance to do that Saturday when Zipperer comes to Columbia with his coach and some teammates for a camp and an unofficial visit. He has some plans in mind for that visit.
“Just build a relationship, and I want to see the campus,” Zipperer said. “I want to see where it happens at, the locker room, the fields. I want to get to know the place.”
The Gamecocks join Kentucky, Pitt and BYU as the major offers for Zipperer.
“I was excited. It felt good,” Zipperer said about landing the offer. “That was my second SEC offer. I was shocked because I didn’t think they were going to offer me.”
Saturday, Zipperer wants to show Stepp and Shane Beamer in person what he’s all about on the field. He said he’s not a receiver you can really pin down to one spot.
“I’m fluid and I can play outside or inside,” Zipperer said. “I can be in the slot. I can run routes from the slot and from the outside. I’m a versatile receiver. You can’t just say I’m a slot receiver because I can go from the outside.”
Last season Zipperer had 17 catches for 260 yards and 4 touchdowns for a run heavy offense.
He has set an official visit to Pitt for June 17th and plans to talk with Stepp and company about one to USC. BYU, Western Michigan, UCF and North Carolina also are talking heavily with him. His group plans to hit up Chapel Hill as part of their travels this weekend. Zipperer would like to make his decision around the middle of this season.
