Quarterback Jay Urich commits to South Carolina

In-state quarterback Jay Urich announced his commitment today to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Urich, a 3-star dual-threat quarterback from Wren High School in Piedmont, SC set up this announcement date last Friday, saying that he would choose between Duke University and South Carolina. Interestingly enough, Kurt Roper and his brother Zac, offensive coordinators at USC and Duke respectively, were the main recruiters of Urich.

While some may have questions as to the motives to adding yet another quarterback to the roster, insiders believe that Urich will be redshirted, giving the Gamecocks depth behind McIlwain and Bentley for the future. This investment for the future has been done before at South Carolina, most notably with Dylan Thompson being brought in during Connor Shaw's reign as starter. Thompson, another lesser-known commodity at QB, ended up being the single-season passing yards leader.

Urich possesses a similar skill set to Connor Shaw with his ability to scramble and extend plays with his legs. He has a good-enough arm to fit balls in to tight windows, and despite an awkward release, he displays good accuracy on intermediate and deep throws. His flaws are coachable, and his frame allows room for him to grow and become stronger with time in the weight room. Coach Roper will have several years to groom Urich as he will likely sit and learn behind Bentley and McIlwain for three or four years.

Urich's commitment gives the Gamecocks their 9th player in their 2017 recruiting class, currently ranked #33 in the nation. Although he is only a three-star now, a strong senior season may improve his ranking before he arrives to Columbia.