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D.J. Smith of Walton H.S. (Marieta, Ga.) will announce his verbal commitment on Jan. 13, according to Palmetto Sports. Smith's decision is expected to between Clemson, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The 6'0, 191 cornerback prospect has not yet taken any of his official visits but has visited all three schools unofficially. His most recent trip was to South Carolina on Nov. 16 during which he took in the Gamecocks' 14-9 win over Florida.
Smith is scheduled to make his official visit to South Carolina four days later on Jan. 17. Read into that what you will.
South Carolina desperately needs cornerbacks. After likely 2014 starter Ahmad Christian elected to transfer in December, the Gamecocks were left in dire straits.
The only other returning cornerbacks on the roster are current true freshman Ali Groves, junior college transfer Ronnie Martin, and redshirt junior and former walk-on Sidney Rhodes. Neither Groves nor Martin have played in 2013, and Rhodes has mostly contributed as a special teams player. True freshman running back Jamari Smith was recruited as a cornerback but was moved to running back in fall practice.
Four-star prospects D.J. Smith and Wesley Green (who committed and decommited over the summer) are the most likely candidates to join Al Harris, Jr. and Darrin Smalls in the Gamecocks' 2014 defensive back class.
Smith, a consensus four-star prospect, is the 12th-best cornerback in the 2014 class and the No. 129 overall prospect in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Index. For what it's worth, 64 percent of the recruiting pundits who vote in 247Sports Crystal Ball think Smith will be choosing the Gamecocks.
