Here's a article on Waston and SC State. Sounds like they might have a good team if the transfers work out. They have a good coach, but he want be there long.
Buddy Pough promised to be more aggressive in pursuing in-state players when he took over as head coach at South Carolina State.
The results of his first recruiting class show he meant it.
Thirteen of the 16 players signed by the Bulldogs are from Palmetto State high schools, including Shrine Bowl offensive lineman Deangelo Brown of Kingstree and three North-South All-Stars.
?We?re excited as we can be,? Pough said. ?We got some guys who can really help us.?
The Bulldogs targeted linemen, especially on the defensive side, and signed nine of them including offensive lineman Clyde Reed of Carvers Bay. Reed, linebacker Travis Wilson of Bamberg-Ehrhardt and wide receiver Chris Belton of Airport all played in the North-South All-Star Game.
Pough also is high on LaQuinton King, a 6-5, 250-pound defensive lineman from Andrews.
?He?s a Kalimba Edwards-size kid,? the former South Carolina running backs coach said, comparing King to the ex-Gamecock All-American.
?I?m surprised more people didn?t get after him.?
S.C. State had gotten away from recruiting in-state players in recent years under longtime head coach Willie Jeffries.
Just one of the six players who signed on the first day of the signing period last year was from South Carolina.
Two years ago, Jeffries signed an astounding 41 players with just 16 of them coming from the Palmetto State.
During that same period the Bulldogs signed 12 players from Georgia.
?We really didn?t even try to work Georgia until real late,? Pough said. ?We spent a lot of energy building relationships with the in-state high school coaches.
?I think they were very receptive. Really, they were as excited about us getting on them as we were to get on them. It was a love-love deal.?
Pough has continued to tap into his Gamecock connections, hiring former South Carolina graduate assistant Rich Kaczenski to coach the Bulldogs? offensive line.
Also, Gamecocks tight end Franky McCullum will join running back Trevin Smith, wide receiver Willis Ham and defensive back Jamie Scott in transferring to South Carolina State, South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz said Wednesday.
?They want to go where they can start,? Holtz said. ?I had to be honest with them. I don?t think they can start for us.?
Pough said he has not closed the door on former Gamecocks tailback Derek Watson, who was dismissed from South Carolina?s football team following his latest brush with the law.
?I?d like to see how he does in school this summer and how things (legal problems) clean up,? Pough said.
?I don?t think it (signing Watson) will happen, but if those things do clean up, you never say never.?
