Speedy Alabama receiver Sam Reynolds commits to Gamecocks football
South Carolina football had a cluster of recruits at their practice on Sunday, the first day after a dead period, and they landed themselves a commit.
Alabaster, Alabama wide receiver Sam Reynolds became the second member of South Carolina’s 2021 recruiting class on Sunday, joining Atlanta cornerback Demarko Williams. Reynolds committed to USC coach Will Muschamp and recruiter Bobby Bentley while on an unofficial visit Sunday with his parents. It was his first visit to USC and he saw and learned enough to know he wants to join Muschamp and company in 2021.
“We were talking about where I would fit in to their system with Coach Muschamp and Coach Bentley,” Reynolds said. “Coach Muschamp said when you commit to me, I commit to you, so you ought to be a Gamecock. When he said that, that kind of tough my heart, touched my family’s heart, and at that moment we all knew it was time to be a Gamecock.”
He was offered last week.
“Before I went I prayed on it,” Reynolds said. “Once I got there, it had everything I was looking for. My family loved it. It felt like a home away from home. The football aspect was wonderful, the education was great and they have the major I would love (Business Management). Everything seemed new, state of the art. You go to a lot of SEC schools and ACC schools and they can’t even compete with South Carolina in my opinion. The facilities were wonderful. It was the best decision for me.”
The 5-foot-8, 158-pound receiver/corner had offers from Troy, Middle Tennessee State and North Alabama.
He ran a 4.51-second 40 at an opening regional last year and was just short of a 38-inch vertical leap.
His MaxPreps page lists him with 380 receiving yards and five touchdowns for one of the top teams in the state of Alabama. He added with 15 tackles, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery on defense for the Class 7A state champs.
“They love my speed,” Reynolds said. “They said they wanted to get me in mismatches and let me go to work in the open field. They said I’m going to be like a gadget or a toy like Deebo Samuel and Ace Sanders. They can move me around, put me at back, slot, outside receiver and get me out in space and create mismatches.”
On his high school film, he showed explosiveness both in getting deep and slipping tackles after short catches.
A smaller, faster receiver is a departure from South Carolina’s recent additions as the position. USC has tended to add bigger-bodied options in each of the past two classes. The Gamecocks haven’t added a receiver shorter than 6-foot-1 since Josh Vann in 2018.
He said he will return to USC in three weeks and plans to bring with him his close friend quarterback Will Crowder of Gardendale, Alabama and wide receiver teammate J.B. Mitchell.
