Clemson and South Carolina have home games on Saturday, and then USC will host the Tigers the following Saturday. That gives the Tigers one more opportunity to host recruits for a game this season, and it gives the Gamecocks two.
Neither, however, will have one of the state’s most coveted 2027 prospects in the stands again this season. CB Joshua Dobson (6-1 180) of Catawba Ridge said he won’t be making any more game visits this season. In fact, while the Palmetto Bowl is being played in Columbia next weekend, he and his family will be on a holiday vacation.
This season, Dobson has been to games at USC and Clemson, along with Tennessee, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. He also saw the Gamecocks play Virginia Tech in Atlanta.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has been very aggressive in his pursuit of Dobson.
“Coach Beamer tries his best to call me every week and keep me updated,” Dobson said. “He really believes that they can make it far next year. Get a couple of players out of the Portal. He told me, hopefully, when I get there, they’ll be right there competing for a national championship.”
The Gamecocks have had a disappointing season to date. They will finish with a losing record and miss a bowl game for the second time in Beamer’s five seasons. Dobson recognizes that downturn in the program, but it’s not a turnoff to him.
“They’ll still always be in my top because of them being in-state, and they show a lot of love,” Dobson said. “No matter the record and all that, I’ve got a good relationship with the coaches, and I can always change the program by me committing, and other recruits seeing that and maybe starting a trend. You never know.”
The losing campaign has raised the question publicly about Beamer’s job security with the Gamecocks. Dobson has heard the rumblings as well, and said he won’t feel the same about the Gamecocks without Beamer in charge.
“It’s definitely important,” Dobson said. “I feel like if he leaves, it will be hard for me to get a good relationship with the new head coach that comes in, unless I’ve already built it with him at his other school.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is also recruiting Dobson, along with cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.
“It’s all the same message from them. They really want me. They want to keep me in state,” Dobson said. “I don’t really get the chance to talk to Dabo that much. I rarely talk with him, but I always keep very close contact with my position coach, Mike Reed. We always have great conversations when he calls.”
Dobson said the message that he has gotten from Reed, USC secondary coach Torrian Gray and the other recruiters is he’s good enough to come in early and make an impact.
“I have all the tools that they want to coach up and make better,” Dobson said. “The length. The speed. The way I play the game. The way I’m already more advanced than some of the corners in my class. They feel like if they can get their hands on me, I can become a great player.”
Dobson, at the end of September, named a top 12 of Clemson, USC, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas Tech, Penn State, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Florida State. He plans to cut that list in half in a month or two, take his junior day visits, spring visits and official visits, and then make his commitment announcement on his birthday of July 14th.
Dobson said he currently does not have a front runner.
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