South Carolina Recruiting: Top DT Abu Lamin Commits

South Carolina got some great news on the recruiting front today when JUCO DT Abu Lamin (Fort Scott, Kan./Fort Scott) committed to Deke Adams and the Gamecocks. Lamin has been reported to favor Carolina over recent weeks, but an offer from Alabama was thought to endanger Carolina's position. However, Lamin chose to stay closer to home (he's from Fayetteville, NC and lived for a year in Cayce) and play for the Gamecocks. The big DT also held offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Nebraska and Tennessee; Arkansas and Florida, along with Alabama, were considered the other major competitors for his services.

In addition to playing closer to home, Lamin had this to say of his decision: "The coaches there are unbelievable. Some people, I don't think they understand how down to earth those coaches are. They like to have fun, but they're also all about work and that's what I'm all about." There's a lot to like in this statement. A lot of recent commits have commented on how they appreciate the no-nonsense approach our coaching staff takes with them; whereas a lot of staffs engage in negative recruiting and tell the kid whatever they think he wants to hear, our coaches give them straight talk about what roles they'll have the chance to play in the program and how we'll help them succeed in those roles. This approach is appealing to players who don't buy into hype and are realistic about what it takes to win in the SEC. Those, of course, are exactly the kinds of players we want.

That's not to say that Lamin doesn't have confidence. He had this to leave us with: "The only thing I can tell Gamecock Nation, is to be ready. We're going to give them hell. Get ready. Get ready for the season. When I come in there, I'm coming in to work, get my two or three years in, and then go to the NFL and show Gamecock Nation a defensive tackle they've never seen." That goosebump-inducing statement illustrates that this is a kid with a good combination of work ethic and swagger.

In addition to simply being a great player, Lamin is a big get for Carolina because he's a JUCO prospect who will be able to immediately come in and compete for a starting spot at tackle next year, particularly if Kelcy Quarles goes to the NFL. Great job by the coaching staff and particularly Adams to go toe-to-toe with 'Bama and bring this kid in.