South Carolina Lands In-State WR Diondre Champaigne
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
Recruiting efforts under new head coach Will Muschamp are picking up quickly for the South Carolina Gamecocks. On Dec. 16, Muschamp reeled in his biggest recruit yet landing 4-star JUCO All-American cornerback JaMarcus King and on Monday picked up a verbal commitment from under the radar in-state recruit Diondre Champaigne.
Champaigne, listed at 6’4”, 180 pounds, helped Fort Dorchester to a perfect 15-0 season in 2015 with the Patriots winning a South Carolina state title with a 59-31 win over Dorman. Despite all of the success on the field for the Patriots, Champaigne’s recruiting was silent until the end of the season when the recruiting attention started to pick up. Champaigne has just three reported offers from Western Carolina, UMass, and South Carolina. UMass’ offer came a day after the Gamecocks offered the Shrine Bowl selection.
The Gamecocks now have 15 verbal commitments to their 2016 recruit class landing three over the past six days; Sadarius Hutcherson and Bryan Edwards.
2016 South Carolina Gamecocks Verbal Commitment List (15)
CB Jamarcus King, 6’1”, 180 lbs, Coffeyville C.C., Coffeyville, KS
CB Tre Jackson, 5’10”, 178 lbs, Univ. Lab HS, Baton Rouge, LA
DE Griffin Gentry, 6’2”, 255 lbs, Homewood HS, Birmingham, AL
DE Sadarius Hutcherson, 6’6”, 250 lbs, Huntingdon HS, Huntingdon, TN
DE Cecil Stallings, 6’4”, 250 lbs, Tucker HS, Atlanta, GA
DE Darius Whitfield, 6’3”, 265 lbs, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Mobile, AL
LB Jacorey Morris, 6’3”, 220 lbs, Clarke County HS, Grove Hill, AL
OT Akeem Cooperwood, 6’7”, 325 lbs, Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, GA
OT Peter Leota, 6’5” 300 lbs, Asheville HS, Asheville, NC
OG Lloyd Cushenberry, 6’4”, 310 lbs, Dutchtown HS, Geismar, LA
OG Will Putnam, 6’5”, 270 lbs, Hickory Ridge HS, Harrisburg, NC
RB C.J. Freeeman, 5’11”, 195 lbs, Northern Guilford HS, Greensboro, NC
QB Brandon McIlwain, 6’0”, 188 lbs, Council Rock North, Newtown, PA
WR Diondre Champaigne, 6’4”, 180 lbs, Fort Dorchester HS, North Charleston, SC
WR Bryan Edwards, 6’3”, 205 lbs, Conway HS, Conway, SC
WR Chris Smith, 5’10”, 170 lbs, South Pointe HS, Rock Hill, SC
Photo credit: journalscene.com; No. 81 Diondre Champaigne