Gamecocks land commitment from 2014 QB

On the heels of a disappointing weekend on the field, South Carolina fans caught wind of surprising news from the recruiting trail. On Sunday night, 2014 QB Michael Scarnecchia announced his commitment to the South Carolina Gamecocks via twitter. It came as a surprise not only to fans, but evidently to insiders:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>2014 QB hmm.? RT <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_scarr17">@mike_scarr17</a>: Officially Committed to South Carolina Gamecocks!! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SEC&amp;src=hash">#SEC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23D1&amp;src=hash">#D1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23wecocky&amp;src=hash">#wecocky</a></p>&mdash; Chris Clark (@GCChrisClark) <a href="https://twitter.com/GCChrisClark/statuses/392102750211047424">October 21, 2013</a></blockquote>

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Indeed, it was largely assumed that South Carolina would pass on a quarterback in the 2014 cycle after missing out on blue chipper Drew Barker. The team had previously offered South Aiken QB Bo Baldwin the option to greyshirt, which wouldn't impact the 2014 class. According to Gamecock Central, Scarnecchia visited for the Kentucky game and was offered last Tuesday. Formerly a UAB commit, Scarnecchia's recruitment was led by Steve Spurrier, which is a rarity in and of itself. While Scharnecchia's two-star composite rating isn't eye popping, HBC must see something he likes. There's reason to trust his judgment, as the last 2-star quarterback the Gamecocks took did this:

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...and this...

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While few would question Spurrier's knack for identifying quarterback talent, the real headscratching element relates to the 2014 scholarship situation. South Carolina has fewer scholarship seniors (5) than any program in the country. Attrition will be a factor: we all know Clowney's gone, odds are Vic Hampton declares, and a few others are likely to test the waters. Even so, available scholarships will be at a premium, and with a handful of 2014 targets still on the board and the rostered QB pipeline what it is, few would have considered a two-star QB with no other major offers a take. It will be interesting to see how the staff makes room for not only Scarnecchia, but the full 2014 class which looks like it could peak at roughly 16. You may want to get used to the phrase "encouraged to transfer".

Scarnecchia is listed at 6'3", 185 and rated the 101st pro style QB in the country.