Ga. safety Zay Brown commits to Will Muschamp, South Carolina football

One of the worst kept secrets in the Gamecocks’ recruiting sphere was finally made public on Saturday. Clarke County (Ga.) safety Zay Brown, a 2017 prospect, publicly announced on Twitter that he has committed to play for Will Muschamp and South Carolina.

Brown presumably informed Muschamp of his commitment last month, which led to a #SpursUp tweet from the first-year Gamecocks coach. However, Brown would not confirm that it was him who had committed, instead stating that he would announce July 23. But it was clear from his response what his final decision would be.

Brown is the Gamecocks’ 17th commitment from the class of 2017. He is the ninth defensive player in the class to pledge and joins three other backfield commits - Fla. cornerbacks Tavyn Jackson and Damarri Mathis and N.C. safety Jaylin Dickerson. Charlotte, Colorado State, Georgia State, Wake Forest and Western Kentucky were other schools that offered, but the Gamecocks were basically the leader from the second they offered back on June 20.