South Carolina recruiting notebook: Fla. cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. visits Gamecocks

Asante Samuel recorded 51 interceptions and 433 tackles in an 11-year career that included four All-Pro selections and two Super Bowl victories. His son, Asante Jr, a rising junior cornerback, hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and pave his own way to football success. The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas product was at South Carolina yesterday on an official visit.

Samuel comes in as a recruit who has the eye of many major programs on him. He is closing in on 40 offers, coming from the likes of the usual power schools - Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma - with many others to come as he progresses in his high school career. Samuel was offered by the previous staff back in May of last year (along with his teammate at Aquinas, Ben Sapp), so it’s unclear how heavily the current staff is recruiting him. They’re currently making a play for former Gamecock Stephon Gilmore’s brother, Steven, who is in the same class, while already holding a pair of CB commits in the 2017 class (Tavyn Jackson and Damarri Mathis) and having a strong chance of landing three more (Trajan Bandy, Jamyest Williams and Yusuf Corker). It’s most likely that Samuel remains in state and will look to pursue a college career close to home.

—Speaking of Bandy, there’s some favorable things being said about his chances of landing at South Carolina. Bandy, a former Oklahoma commit and the #38 CB in the country according to 247, stated that it’s likely he would take an official visit in the fall. He also had some very good things to say about the Carolina staff.

“I just really want to be around genuine people and people that I can really put my trust in and play football with,” Bandy said, “But I know Coach Muschamp and Coach T-Rob coached up the best players in the country, such as Vernon Hargreaves, Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson, while those guys were at Florida.

“I talked to a couple of those guys. They told me they’re very genuine guys and they’re real.”

At least two Gamecocks, one current and one future, are doing their part to recruit the Miami (Fla.) Columbus standout.