RB Jayden Scott (5-11 203) of Stockbridge, GA Monday named his top seven schools as USC, NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, Northwestern, Louisville and Rutgers. Right now, NC State is his favorite by a slim margin over Wake Forest, but USC running backs coach Montario Hardesty is doing what he can to make the Gamecocks a greater factor.
“I do really like South Carolina,” Scott said. “I like the fanbase and the whole college atmosphere. That’s really what puts them pretty high on my list. Of course, they have a great coaching staff, but it’s really the fanbase and the campus that sticks out to me. The game day environment over there is something special. I went when they played (Texas) A&M and upset A&M. That was just an environment that I’ve never experienced before. I feel like anybody would want to play in that environment.”
Scott visited USC for the first time last June, but his contact with Hardesty goes back longer than that.
“Coach Hardesty and I, we’ve been building a relationship since the end of my sophomore year. We’ve just been continuing building that relationship,” Scott said. “He says he likes my vision and how I explode through a hole. Those are some things that stick out to him about me. And of course, he likes my speed.”
Scott finished third last spring in the Georgia state 100 meters with a time of 10.88. He missed most of his junior season with a fractured fibula. As a sophomore Scott rushed for 459 yards and six touchdowns.
Scott has visited NC State and he went to Rutgers for a junior day January 14th. He plans to visit Wake Forest this month and Rutgers in April, and he wants to return to USC to watch a spring practice. He plans to make his decision in June.
