Where things stand with South Carolina and priority receiver recruit
South Carolina has long been the favorite for wide receiver Jonathan Paylor of Burlington, North Carolina, but the Gamecocks will have a pair of challengers from his neighborhood: N.C. State and North Carolina.
Paylor (5-9, 170) has official visits planned for each in June, with the USC visit set for the 23rd.
“South Carolina is one of those schools that has really put a lot of effort into recruiting me, which I very much love,” Paylor said. “My dad loves them. I love them. The way they’ve been recruiting me and treating me like family. That’s why South Carolina is number one for me.”
Paylor has been communicating with new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains a good bit in an effort to get to know him and his ways, and vice versa.
“Just to touch bases on how he is as a person, and how I am as a football player and as a person in general,” Paylor said. “We talked a little bit about football, but not very much. Really, we just talk about things that I like and dislike. Everything like that so that he can get to know me as a person.”
Loggains has explained to Paylor his plans for him in his offense, and Paylor likes what he has in mind.
“I’ve heard he’s going to throw that rock,” Paylor said. “That’s the great thing for me, that he’s going to get the ball in space to the best athletes and make plays. I can play anywhere. They know they can use me as a Deebo Samuel type, in the backfield a little bit, going to slot receiver, going to wideout, overall, just put me in the game to make the biggest impact.”
Paylor has also visited N.C. State and North Carolina multiple times. His most recent visit was to Chapel Hill for their spring game.
“The way Coach (Lonnie) Galloway recruits me, he’s one of the best receiver coaches in the country,” Paylor said. “He just put one of the best receivers in the country in the (NFL) Draft, Josh Downs. He can coach a player like me because I’m the same size as Josh, the same speed as Josh, and the whole player mindset and the player development around Josh is just the type of player I am.”
Paylor also has official visits scheduled with Clemson for June 2 and Maryland June 9, but his focus has been on the Gamecocks, Tar Heels and Wolfpack, and his father will play an integral role in his ultimate decision.
“Right now, just to see the impression they give on my dad, because my dad is a strong-minded individual,” Paylor said. “If you can convince him to know that it’s a great school to come to, and that I’ll be comfortable with, that would be amazing. If you can convince him that I should go to your school, I would go. For me, I love the schools that are recruiting me right now.”
Last season, Paylor put up eye-popping numbers at running back and receiver. He rushed for 1,054 yards and 17 touchdowns averaging 14 yards per carry, and he caught 27 passes for 725 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 27 yards per catch.
For his career, Paylor has rushed for 2,147 yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging 10 yards per carry, and has caught 105 passes for 2,512 and 14 touchdowns averaging 24 yards per catch.
