South Carolina is experiencing the ups and downs of recruiting as the week rolls to a close. Thursday OT Kamari Blair (6-6 280) of Clarksville, TN, who had committed to the Gamecocks on July 16th, announced a de-commitment from them and a new commitment to Tennessee.
It was thought when Blair committed that the Vols were a strong second and would continue to work the in-state prospect. Ole Miss was also in the running late.
Blair visited USC in April and was back for an official visit in June.
“I loved it. The players. The coaches. Nobody was BSing me,” Blair said. “Everybody was, Hey, it’s not going to be all unicorns and rainbows; you are going to have to work. They were just honest, that’s what I liked about it. Nobody was telling me I’m going to start my freshman year. Nobody was telling me the workouts are easy. They were telling me the whole program is built off of grit and toughness. That’s what I really liked about it. That’s what stood out to me.”
Blair’s defection leaves the Gamecocks with two offensive line commitments and 14 total pledges.
Those numbers are expected to jump to three and 15 on Friday, however. Steve Wiltfong of Rivals issued a projection on Thursday for the Gamecocks to land the commitment of OG Darius Gray of Richmond on Friday night. That’s a flip for Wiltfong, who had earlier predicted Gray to commit to LSU.