Tag: South Carolina

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 16, South Carolina OL Nick Gargiulo

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is South Carolina offensive lineman Nick Gargriulo.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers and Brian Gutekunst love versatile offensive linemen. Elgton Jenkins started games at left tackle, right tackle, center and left guard during his time at Mississippi State. Jon Runyan Jr started games at both tackle spots before kicking inside to guard when he landed in Green Bay. Royce Newman started games at left guard and right tackle. At Wake Forest, Zach Tom started games at left tackle and center.

A versatile offensive lineman that Gutekunst could target in the 2024 NFL Draft is Nick Gargiulo. The South Carolina offensive linemen checks in at No. 16 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown. 

A Yale transfer, Gargiulo started 14 games at left tackle and 10 games at center before transferring to South Carolina. During his lone season in the SEC, Gargiulo started seven games at center and five at left guard. 

“He provided stability and versatility,” David Cloninger, the South Carolina beat writer for The Post and Courier, said. “In a season that more than any other the past decade was smacked with offensive-line injuries (11 of the 20 linemen were hurt at some point and the team started eight different lines in the first eight games before it stabilized in the final four games), Gargiulo started every game. He began at left guard and switched to center five games in, and finished the season playing through a bum ankle and a busted hand.”

Gargiulo plays with good sink and knee bend in pass protection. The Yale transfer is a wide-framed blocker. He stays alert and keeps his head on a swivel. He anchors against power and roots in to help keep the pocket clean. During his final two seasons at Yale, Gargiulo gave up zero sacks and 11 pressures. In his lone season playing in the SEC, he gave up two sacks (both came against Georgia) and 26 pressures. 

“He can stay in place and plays with good leverage,” Cloninger said. “He uses his hands well. Even on the pop-up after snapping the ball he rarely got straight whipped.”

Gargiulo is quick out of his stance and moves well in space. The Yale transfer shows no restrictions on reaching the second level and honing in on his targets. He utilizes his length to get into defenders and displace them. 

“He doesn’t get pushed around,” Cloninger said. “Wherever he’s supposed to be, he’s an obstacle for defenders.”

Fit with the Packers

The Packers have a rich history of developing Day 3 offensive linemen into quality starters. With the Packers owning six Day 3 selections this year, Gargiulo could be a target with one of those picks in the sixth or seventh round. 

With his athleticism and five-position versatility, Gargiulo would appear to fit the mold of what the Packers look for in their offensive linemen.

A year after not taking any offensive linemen in the draft, Gutekunst could attack that position group by using multiple picks to bolster the Great Wall of Lambeau. Gargiulo would provide quality depth along the interior and could kick outside to play tackle if needed.

4-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery announces commitment

Ryan Montgomery, a four-star quarterback out of Findlay, Ohio, has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs

Ryan Montgomery, a four-star quarterback out of Findlay, Ohio, made his official announcement on Wednesday afternoon. Montgomery committed to the Georgia Bulldogs over Florida, and South Carolina. Montgomery, who is ranked as the No. 14 quarterback in the country, gives Georgia a sought-after quarterback commit for the class of 2025. Montgomery’s commitment was not short of theatrics, as the quarterback brought a live bulldog with him to announce his decision.

South Carolina and Florida were seen as early favorites to land Montgomery, but Georgia surged into the lead along recent weeks. The Bulldogs had long been involved in Montgomery’s recruitment but zeroed in on him in the weeks following the commitment of fellow class of 2025 quarterback Matt Zollers to Missouri.

Montgomery is listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. He passed for 3,877 yards, 38 touchdowns, and five interceptions while also running for 257 yards and 10 touchdowns in his junior season. He led Findlay to an 8-3 record and an appearance in the playoffs.

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Montgomery is slated to bring much needed depth to next season’s anticipated quarterback competition, where he would have the opportunity to compete with current backup Gunner Stockton as well as class of 2024 four-star Ryan Puglisi.

4-star Georgia quarterback target sets commitment date

Elite quarterback recruit Ryan Montgomery has locked in his commitment date and will choose among Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. 

Class of 2025 four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery has officially set his commitment date. Montgomery confirmed he will commit this Wednesday, April 17, at 3 p.m. ET at Findlay High School. He will choose among Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.

Montgomery is from Findlay, Ohio, and is listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. He passed for 3,877 yards, 38 touchdowns, and five interceptions in his junior season while leading Findlay to an 8-3 record and the first round of the playoffs. He also ran for 257 yards and ten touchdowns. He broke Ben Roethlisberger’s school record for single-game touchdown passes with six this past season.

Though he was long seen as a South Carolina lean, Georgia has been trending heavily as of late for Montgomery according to numerous recruiting resources. The Bulldogs recently received a commitment from class of 2026 number one quarterback Jared Curtis, but also missed out on four-star signal caller Matt Zollers, who recently committed to Missouri. This leaves the Dawgs without a quarterback commitment at this time in the current recruiting cycle.

Montgomery would be a major addition to a quarterback room that could be down to two scholarship quarterbacks in Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi to start next season.

Deebo Samuel reacts to South Carolina winning national championship over Iowa

After the South Carolina completed the perfect season with a win over Caitlin Clark and Iowa, a member of the 49ers took to Twitter to celebrate his alma mater’s national championship.

On Sunday, the South Carolina Gamecocks completed the perfect season with a win over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the women’s college basketball national championship.

Following their historic win, South Carolina alum and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel took to Twitter to celebrate the national championship.

Along with sharing gifs and praise for South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, Samuel also sent a message to his teammate and former Iowa tight end George Kittle.

Via @19problemz on Twitter:

Before the game, Samuel revealed he had a bet with Kittle. According to Samuel, the loser will have to a wear a jersey of the winning team to a game next season, meaning Kittle will have to wear a South Carolina jersey to game.

Behind double-figure scoring numbers from four different players, including Kamila Cardoso and freshman Tessa Johnson, the Gamecocks were able to hold off Caitlin Clark on the way to an 87-75 win in the national championship on Sunday afternoon.

With a win in the national championship, South Carolina completed the perfect season at 38-0.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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49ers’ George Kittle, Deebo Samuel make bet on Iowa vs. South Carolina national championship game

The 49ers teammates will turn into rivals for the national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina.

On Sunday, the sports world will turn its attention to the hardwood for the women’s college basketball national championship game.

After a thrilling tournament chalked full of emerging stars, Caitlin Clark will end her historic season with Iowa in the national championship against Kamilia Cardoso and the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks.

With South Carolina and Iowa meeting in the national championship, two alums turned teammates on the San Francisco 49ers have shifted into rivals.

Before the game, former Iowa Hawkeye George Kittle and former South Carolina Gamecock Deebo Samuel traded a back-and-forth on Twitter.

Via @gkittle46 on Twitter:

Via @19problemz on Twitter:

In an interview with Bleacher Report during the Final Four, Samuel also revealed there will be a bet between the two for the national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina. The loser will have to wear a jersey of the winning team before a 49ers game next season.

Watch the interview here.

Iowa and South Carolina will meet for the national championship on Sunday at noon PT.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo wins Dawn Staley Award as top guard

Add yet another honor for the freshman phenom.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] began her collegiate career when Notre Dame faced South Carolina in Paris to open this past season. That meant she got to make her debut with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley watching from the opposite sideline. She aced her first exam, leading all scorers with 31 points in an Irish loss. Now, Staley gets to honor her.

Hidalgo has been named the winner of this year’s Dawn Staley Award, given to the country’s top guard. She unseats Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who had won it each of the previous three seasons. She is the second Irish player to win the award after [autotag]Skylar Diggins[/autotag], who was the first honoree in 2013.

Staley, whose Gamecocks are in the Final Four trying to complete a perfect season, said the following about Hidalgo:

“The Dawn Staley Award goes to the player who demonstrates exceptional skills, leadership, and performance at the guard position. Hannah Hidalgo’s court vision, passing ability, ball-handling and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates combined with her relentless defense is unmatched. She is the embodiment of a two-way force on the basketball court and the essence of what the award represents. In a season where there are several deserving candidates Hannah has separated herself from the group.“

Hidalgo will receive her award during a virtual ceremony April 11, and it’s great to know that she still is collecting hardware even with the Irish’s season over. That trophy case is gonna be awfully crowded by the time she’s done in South Bend.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Vols sweep South Carolina on senior day

Tennessee tennis sweeps South Carolina on senior day.

No. 8 Tennessee (19-4, 8-1 SEC) defeated No. 20 South Carolina (11-10, 4-5 SEC), 4-0, on Sunday at Barksdale Stadium.

Tennessee finished 15-0 in home regular-season contests for the fifth time in program history since 2000.

Tennessee-South Carolina tennis results

Doubles

1. #7 Angel Diaz/Johannus Monday (UT) def. James Story/Lucas da Silva (SC), 6-4
2. #20 Shunsuke Mitsui/Filip Pieczonka (UT) def. Toby Samuel/Carter Morgan (SC), 7-5
3. Sean Daryabeigi/Jelani Sarr (SC) def. Younes Lalami/Chris Li (UT), 6-3

Order of finish: 1,3,2

Singles

1. #5 Johannus Monday (UT) vs. #21 Toby Samuel (SC), 1-6, 6-2, 1-2, unfinished
2. #40 Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. James Story (SC), 6-3, 6-1
3. Chris Li (UT) vs. Sean Daryabeigi (SC), 6-6 (11-11), unfinished
4. Nicolas Kobelt (UT) vs. Jelani Sarr (SC), 7-6 (8-6), 1-5, unfinished
5. #109 Filip Pieczonka (UT) def. Lucas da Silva (SC), 6-1, 6-3
6. Angel Diaz (UT) def. Carter Morgan (SC), 6-0, 6-2

Order of finish: 6,2,5

Oregon State loses to South Carolina, leaving USC as only Pac-12 team left in NCAA Tournament

Oregon State put up a great fight, but it ran into the wrong foe. Only USC can give the Pac-12 a Final Four now.

The Oregon State Beavers represented themselves and the Pac-12 quite well on Sunday in the Albany Regional of the Women’s NCAA Tournament. They pushed the unbeaten and No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks for 38 minutes in an Elite Eight game. USC women’s basketball players and coaches were probably watching on television.

Few teams have been able to challenge coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks that well for that long. The Beavers trailed by 13 at one point but were down only four, 62-58, with 3:30 left. They were right there with a chance to win. That’s all they could ask for as they pursued the Final Four.

However, South Carolina is unbeaten — and No. 1 — for a reason. The Gamecocks continued to crash the offensive glass. The Gamecocks collected 22 offensive rebounds, not always scoring but crucially denying OSU added possessions, which reduced the Beavers’ chances of making a comeback. South Carolina didn’t shoot especially well — 4 of 20 on 3-pointers — but rebounding and defense carried the Gamecocks to a fourth consecutive Final Four.

USC is now the only Pac-12 team left in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. The Trojans face UConn Monday night in Portland at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 Pacific, on ESPN.

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Oregon State beats second-seeded Notre Dame to reach Elite Eight, earn date with South Carolina

One Pac-12 team is in the Elite Eight. Oregon State gets a chance to topple No. 1 and unbeaten South Carolina.

The Oregon State Beavers aren’t done in the NCAA Tournament. They are heading to the Elite Eight after beating Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Albany, New York.

Fighting Irish Wire has more:

“With injuries stripping Notre Dame of its depth, it seemed like only a matter of time before that caught up. It didn’t happen during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but Albany Regional 1 posed tougher competition and thus increased the likelihood of the issue being exposed. Oregon State was the team to do it, beating the Irish in the Sweet 16, 70-65.

“A game that featured eight ties and 11 lead changes was destined to come down to the end. The Irish (27-7) were in front, 59-57, with less than three minutes to play when Donovyn Hunter hit a 3 to give the Beavers (28-7) the lead for good. One possession later, Lily Hansford made another 3 off an offensive rebound, putting the Beavers up four.”

Oregon State gets to face No. 1 and unbeaten South Carolina on Sunday in the Elite Eight. The Final Four is on the line. The game starts at 1 p.m. Eastern and 10 a.m. Pacific.

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Joyce Edwards named 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year

Joyce Edwards, a three-sport all-state player on Camden, has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Last year, Joyce Edwards averaged 28.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game in a 29-2 championship season while being named all-state in three sports and posting a 5.04 GPA. This year, she averaged an otherworldly 31.3 points as she led Camden (S.C.) girls basketball to another championship — and has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year for her performance.

WNBA All-Star Satou Sabally presented Edwards with the trophy on Thursday, the culmination of a dominant high school career for the South Carolina commit.

(Gatorade Player of the Year/Joe Greer)

Edwards isn’t simply one of the best scorers in the country. She is a true creator, also averaging 4.0 assists per game. She grabs boards as well as anyone, averaging 13.3 rebounds per game as a senior. And she’s a top-tier defender, averaging a whopping 4.5 blocks and 3.3 steals per game, leading a team that outscored opponents by an average margin of 39.6 points per game.

She’s nearly as dominant on the soccer pitch. Through just 10 games this season, Edwards has 26 goals and 13 assists, according to MaxPreps — more than three times as many points as her next-highest teammate. On the 26-5 volleyball team that fell in the championship to Wren (Piedmont, S.C.), Edwards had a team-high 215 kills.

Edwards got back at Wren in the basketball championship, posting 27 points as she outscored the entire Wren team in a 44-22 title victory.

The 6-foot-2 forward is listed as the No. 2 player in ESPN’s 2024 high school recruit ranking. She has averaged at least 20 points every season since the eighth grade, according to MaxPreps. Edwards committed to South Carolina in November, telling Just Women’s Sports that the decision was about both championships and academics.

“I knew I wanted to win as many national championships as possible, and Dawn really convinced me she can get me to that level,” Edwards told the outlet.

She also said Dawn Staley worked with the honors college at South Carolina to help Edwards be placed in the right program.

“She tried her hardest and found ways to do it so I can get both experiences for my academics and athletics,” Edwards said to Just Women’s Sports. “It was just how hard she worked to not give up (on me).”

(Gatorade Player of the Year/Joe Greer)