USC receivers coach Justin Stepp Friday was at Strom Thurmond High School in Johnston for a check in with WR Braylon Staley. Staley has been committed to Tennessee since June, making that decision well before Stepp and Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer got around to offering him. He has remained true to the Vols and despite overtures, he did not attend a USC game this season.
It might be all for naught, but Stepp is still giving it a go with Staley. He also stopped in to visit Staley’s father, Brian Staley, while in that part of the state.
“Good visit. Good visit,” Brian Staley said. “Just kind of sat down and talked and asked some questions, just trying to see where his (Braylon) head was. I told him man, to be honest with you, I don’t know. It’s my son, wherever he feels comfortable at, and where his heart is is where he’s going to go, and I’m going to support him 100%.”
It does not appear, at this point, Staley will be able to visit USC before the December 20th signing day. There are only three available weekends in December. One just passed. Next weekend, Staley leaves for the Shrine Bowl, and he will be in Spartanburg until late that Saturday afternoon. And mid-week visits are out due to exams. So, unless they can work out a short weekend stop, the Gamecocks won’t have an on-campus recruiting opportunity.
“At the moment, I know he’s committed to Tennessee,” Staley said. “We’re going to meet probably Sunday to kind of sit down and put some stuff together, cross some Ts and dot some Is, see what you can live with, see what you can’t live what’s some stuff you can stomach, what’s some stuff that you can’t. We’ll see where he goes from there.”
One factor that does exist to help the Gamecocks in this case is the long history Brian Staley has with both Stepp and Beamer.
“I’ve known Stepp for a while, and I’ve known Beamer for a while with him being my position coach while at Mississippi State,” Staley said. “It’s just whatever Bray wants to do. I’m going to help him with his decision and guide him as much as I can, but at the end of the day I want it to be his choice and want him to feel good about it. I don’t want to be the dad that says we’re going here, and then he hates where he is. I want to make sure he’s able to choose on his own.”
And one thing Staley knows about this recruiting situation, he hasn’t heard or seen the last of Stepp.
“He’s a fighter. Stepp is going to go down to the wire,” Staley said. “There’s no quit in him, and I don’t blame him. You fight for who you want, and I think that’s what he’s doing. Buit, in my honest opinion, I believe that Braylon is all Vol. I think he feels good.”