Football recruiting: Defensive back Octavis Johnson commits to South Carolina

If you thought the South Carolina coaching staff would be satisfied with the bumper crop of defensive back talent in the 2014 class and spend 2015 addressing other needs, then you appear to have been mistaken.

Four-star athlete Octavis Johnson of Homerville (Ga.) Clinch County committed to the Gamecocks on Monday evening over competing offers from Clemson, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Miami, Wisconsin, Florida State, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. The 6'1, 181-pound prospect becomes the fourth defensive back to commit to the Gamecocks in 2015, joining four-star cornerback Mark Fields, three-star safety Antoine Wilder, and three-star cornerback Jaire Alexander. South Carolina is also anticipating a commitment from three-star cornerback Damon Arnette on Monday evening.

Johnson is the 17th player to commit to South Carolina's 2015 class, which now ranks No. 5 in the country according to the 247Sports Composite team ranking after edging past Auburn. The Gamecocks' newest commitment could play a number of positions at the next level. Watch Johnson look physically imposing at both cornerback and an running back in his junior year highlight reel.

Stray observations that have little to do with football:

• Let's  hope this is just the beginning of South Carolina recruiting players whose names recall the Roman Empire.
• Homerville, Ga. sounds like a made-up place.
• Clinch County sounds like a made-up place invented for the purposes of a rap song.