South Carolina Gamecocks Recruiting: 4-star DE Jordan Smith commits

Looking to bolster their defensive line,  South Carolina picked up a commitment from 2016 DE Jordan Smith on Wednesday.

The South Carolina Gamecocks firmed up their defensive line Wednesday as 2016 four-star defensive end Jordan Smith (Lithonia, GA. Lithonia) committed to the program during an announcement at his high school.

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Smith is ranked the No. 322 player in the ’16 class, the No. 24 weak-side defensive end, and the No.25 player in the state of Georgia per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

He was highly regarded across the country, amassing 18 offers in total. Lorenzo Ward who is South Carolina’s defensive coordinator, safeties coach, and quarterbacks coach was the primary figure in Smith’s recruitment while defensive line coach Deke Adams took on the role of secondary recruiter.

The Gamecocks were very active in Smith’s recruitment, hosting him for a visit on November 1 and then having him on campus for their Junior Day on March 28. He then visited the program again on June 13 before ending the process with a commitment Wednesday.

With 13 overall commitments and four of the four-star variety, the Gamecocks 2016 class ranks No. 30 in the country and No. 10 in the SEC per the 247Sports Team Rankings.

Able to move quickly on his feet as well as being swift in pursuit of the ball carrier, Smith should be able to provide disruption in the passing game, and use his speed to stop plays from developing out of the backfield. Having that speed coming off the line of scrimmage will be a tremendous asset as the program looks to continue to revamp a defense that ranked No. 91 in the country in 2014 with 5,203 total yards allowed.

Getting a high-caliber commitment like this will help the Gamecocks continue their building process as they continue to reconstruct their defense. Will Jordan’s commitment mean success in the future for South Carolina? Let us know in the comments below.

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