As it looks right now, last Monday was a big day in the 2008 recruiting efforts of the South Carolina Gamecocks and Duke Blue Devils. In all, three Peach State athletes committed to the two schools, with Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks landing the majority.
A commitment that was certainly cause for Gamecock celebration was that of Perry offensive guard Johnnie Farms, who chose Carolina over offers from Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma, among others. According to Rivals.com, the 6-foot-2, 285-pound lineman is a four-star recruit, the 15th-best player in the State of Georgia, and the eighth-ranked guard in the country. Running backs coach Robert Gillespie was in charge of recruiting Farms for the Gamecocks and clearly did a solid job bonding with the Perry prospect.
“Coach Gillespie was very happy when I told him tonight,” Farms explained in an interview with Rivals recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. “So was coach [Steve] Spurrier. They need some big linemen to help out their run game and I hope to do just that. We are going to win the SEC soon and I will be very happy to be a part of that. I can’t wait.”
As for why the athletic big man pulled the trigger, Farms had this to say: “South Carolina is a great place and there is such a bright future there. I love the city of Columbia, the campus life, and the coaching staff. It’s a team atmosphere and my home for the next four years.”
On film, Farms displays great strength for a player of his size as well as impressive aggression off the line. In addition, he shows great explosion when the ball is snapped and possesses exceptional agility and athleticism for an offensive lineman. On the next level, Parks will benefit from some added weight, but that should come naturally with a college weight program and just a little time.
As of now, Farms has no other official visits scheduled.
MORE FOR SPURRIER
Joining Farms in Columbia, as of last Monday, will be linebacker Josh Dickerson, who is currently attending Georgia Military College in Milledgeville. Dickerson, a three-star recruit and 61st-ranked junior college player according to Rivals.com, received plenty of attention, including offers from Tennessee, East Carolina, Marshall, Minnesota and Mississippi, in addition to South Carolina.
According to a recent interview, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound recruit had numerous reasons for picking the Gamecocks.
“It’s close to home, so my parents can come see me play,” Dickerson said. “I also just like the city and the facilities they have and the ones they’re building. The coaches are great, and there’s a chance for me to come in and play early.”
As a junior college player, Dickerson will be two years removed from high school when he first steps foot on campus in Columbia. As a freshman at GMC, Dickerson recorded 32 tackles—four for a loss—to go along with four sacks. That kind of experience should make the transition to the college game a bit easier for the Georgia prospect and, in the meantime, has certainly given Dickerson more confidence.
“My first big goal is to come in and win a starting position,” he said. “They’ve talked to me about playing MIKE linebacker and the WILL linebacker spot. I know they’re losing Jap (Jasper Brinkley) after this year, so that opens up an opportunity for a guy like me.”
On the field, Dickerson is relentless in pursuit and extremely fast and aggressive when attacking the football. The outside linebacker plays a physical brand of football, is a solid tackler and displays fantastic recognition skills as plays develop.
Yet, while the Dickerson commitment was no doubt a big one for the Gamecocks, the Milledgeville prospect’s recruitment is far from over.
“I haven’t decided what I want to do [about taking other official visits],” he said. “If I do take another trip it will be to Tennessee or West Virginia.”
Dickerson is on track to graduate from GMC in December and will have three years to play two at the Division I level.
DUKIES KEEPING PACE
The final recruit to drop in a flurry of commitments last Monday was Shaw running back Kyle Griswould, as the 5-foot-9, 173-pound back became the fifth Georgia athlete to commit to the Duke Blue Devils in the Class of 2009. In the end, Griswould chose Duke over interest from Georgia Tech and Troy and an offer from Ball State.
“I really like the atmosphere at Duke,” Griswould recently told DevilsIllustrated.com. “Also, I like the depth chart. I think I’ll have the chance to get playing time there. I like how the coaches seem down to earth, too.”
Under first-year head coach David Cutcliffe, Duke’s recruiting efforts have certainly picked up, as the Blue Devils already have 25 pledges in the current recruiting cycle. And while Griswould is confident in his chances for early playing time, he will no doubt face some stiff competition from fellow recruit Desmond Scott, who, according to Rivals.com, is the fourth-best all-purpose back in the country.
Either way, Griswould is solid in his commitment to the Blue Devils and has effectively ended his recruitment process.
Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
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