STRecruiting: South Carolina zeroing in on a top cornerback in Langston Pridgeon of Dematha Catholic

South Carolina secondary coach Torrian Gray is going back into the state of Virginia in search of top-notch corners, and he’s moved in on Langston Pridgeon (6-2 183), a native of Ashburn who is attending Dematha Catholic in Hyattsville, MD this season.

“I’ve talked with Coach Gray a few times over the past couple of weeks, and then I’ve also talked with other defensive analysts with the Gamecocks, so I’d say South Carolina has been recruiting me hard,” Pridgeon said. “They’re not only making a good impression on me, but also my parents. Coach Gray has a group chat with me and my parents. He wishes us well during the day. So I feel he’s definitely making a good impression on me and my family.”

Pridgeon has yet to visit USC for a game, a camp, or a recruiting event, but that will change this fall.

“I’m definitely looking forward to getting down for a game,” he said. Me and my parents are scheduling one. We don’t have an exact date, but we are scheduling a date.”

And the primary attraction to the Gamecocks at this point for Pridgeon is Gray and what he has done throughout his career coaching defensive backs.

“I like Coach Gray A lot. I feel he has a good track record of developing corners and especially the new prototype, like the six-foot-and-above corners,” Pridgeon said. “I feel like he knows what he’s doing. One of my DB trainers, Coach Gray, was his coach, so I’ve been learning some of the techniques that he’s taught my trainer. It’s working out for me when I’m implementing them into my game. I already feel a little connection through that. Also, Coach Gray just talks about the rich history in South Carolina, and the environment that I hope to be able to experience when I get down to a game. I definitely feel like Coach Gray has a big interest in me. He came down to my previous school two times to first talk to me, and then he offered me. He also came to see me practice and talk with me. So I definitely feel like I’m high on his board.”

Gray is not alone in his admiration for Pridgeon. Several other major programs are making recruiting moves with him as well.

“Some other schools that show me some serious interest are the University of Georgia, Kentucky. Ohio State, and Notre Dame,” Pridgeon said. “Virginia Tech, the hometown team, is definitely showing me some love. And Tennessee is reaching out to me. I definitely feel like I’m getting some love for them as well.”

Pridgeon also has offers from East Carolina, LSU, Georgia Tech, Cal, Wake Forest, Colorado, Auburn, Miami, SMU, Stanford, Florida, and Virginia. He visited Clemson for a game last season and in April, but he’s not been offered by the Tigers.

Pridgeon has set visits with Georgia for the Auburn game, Notre Dame for the Michigan State game, Ohio State for the Illinois game, and Penn State for the Southern Cal game.

Last season, Pridgeon estimated that he was in on 50 tackles and had one interception.