South Carolina is in a big boy recruiting battle for SAF Lagonza Hayward (6-1 200) of Lyons, GA, just the kind of recruiting battle Shane Beamer and secondary coach Torian Gray need to win if they are going to close the talent gap with the top teams in the SEC. Hayward is down to the Gamecocks, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee as he looks ahead to a late July commitment.
Hayward made his official visit with the Gamecocks last weekend. He was joined by his mother and two other family members.
“What I enjoyed the most was spending time with the players and hanging out with them and being around them,” Hayward said. “And then being around Coach Gray and Coach Beamer that weekend and seeing the type of character they’ve got and the people they are.”
Gray has done an excellent job of building up the talent base at safety and corner, and Hayward said it was explained to him that he would fit right in with what the Gamecocks like to do with their secondary pieces.
“They basically told me that they want me to come in and make an impact early,” Hayward said. “Coach Beamer said, you’ve got too much talent to be sitting on the sideline watching the game with me. I want you in the game. They said on film I move around, so they are hoping they can move me around in the defensive backfield. I could play nickel, strong safety and free safety.”
Hayward and Beamer had a chance to talk on Sunday before the conclusion of the official visit. Beamer put all his cards on the table.
“He was telling me, you been here the whole weekend, you know how we operate, and you’ve been here more than once, so you obviously must like us, and we really like you,” Hayward said. “So, why not be a Gamecock?”
Good question. So, is Hayward ready to be a Gamecock?
“I’d rather not say,” he said adding that the USC was his best visit so far. He’s also been to Georgia and has Florida and Tennessee coming up. “I’m going to commit July 27th. I got a good idea, but I’m open minded.”
Last season Hayward had 48 tackles with four passes defended and three interceptions. He also caught 26 passes for 727 yards and seven touchdowns.