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Name: Quandeski "Boosie" Whitlow
Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6'3, 221 pounds
Hometown: Opelika, AL
Rating: 247Sports: Three Star Rivals: Three Star ESPN: Three Star
Whitlow has been committed to the Gamecocks since June, but had been looking heavily at the Louisville Cardinals and Florida Gators. After being at USC for his official visit on Jan. 23rd and decided to shut down his recruitment. He chose the Gamecocks over offers from UF, UL and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. His primary recruiter is Kirk Botkin, with Deke Adams serving as a secondary recruiter.
Strengths:
Whitlow is a very skilled pass rusher and is able to use his strength and speed to rush from the edge. He displays exceptional ability to get off his blocks and displays adequate tackling technique. In addition, he does appear to have a decent amount of speed when chasing quarterbacks or wide receivers. He could be used as a defensive end/linebacker hybrid since he also displays the ability to keep up with wide receivers in pass coverage situations. He also displays a good amount of intensity while playing, and will play until the whistle blows.
Weaknesses:
Whitlow does not have the ideal height or weight for the position, and may face some difficulty trying to gain weight for college. Another problem is that if the play calls for him to try and go to the inside, he usually struggles to get off his blocks. He will also need to work on his skills when it comes to stopping the run. He does posses some decent speed, but he will need to get somewhat faster to deal with the speed of SEC running backs.
Overall:
Whitlow is a solid prospect that will need some time to develop, but has a strong base to work with. Botkin has done a good job getting recruits out of Alabama and Whitlow could end up being a steal from the major in-state schools. I don't expect to see Whitlow play until the 2016 season, especially with Lewis and Sawyer in this class.