South Carolina Gamecocks National Signing Day 2016: The GABA Staff Reacts

Signing Day has come and gone and the next generation of Gamecocks are set to enroll in August. The staff from GABA is ready to give their thoughts on the class as a whole.

Sydney Hunte

Class Grade: A-

Overall Thoughts: While they did miss on a few targets, Will Muschamp has done a tremendous job in his short time at the helm of the staff, which is promising as the calendar shifts to the 2017 recruiting cycle. He was able to haul in a couple of stud WRs (Kiel Pollard and Randrecous Davis), make some moves at the last second to grab Korey Banks, Aaron Thompson and a solid DT in Stephon Taylor, and largely hold on to much of Spurrier's core group (minus a few). Hard to give this an A or A+ as I hold it up to other SEC programs, but Muschamp went above and beyond the call, so in purely relative terms, it's an A-/B+-ish class.

Most Excited For: Very excited for Randrecous Davis. The WR corps got much, much better with him in it, and it's a testament to this new Carolina regime in that they're willing to get into the trenches and fight it out for the recruits that they feel can make the most impact. Can't wait to see watch this unit develop in camp.

Sleeper Pick: Really think C.J Freeman is a sleeper. RB is a priority for this program and even though there might have been more talented guys on the board, Freeman will hold his own and contribute to the running game.

James Shahid

Class Grade: B

Overall Thoughts: The new coaching staff proved they know what they're doing on the recruiting trail, and for the last six weeks, it's been mainly positive news for Will Muschamp and his assistants. With Bryan Edwards and Brandon McIlwain already in classes, the two four-star playmakers are in position to provide immediate fireworks on offense. It's also clear Muschamp plans on building this program from the inside out as 12 of the 24 new enrollees play on either the offensive or defensive line.

Most Excited For: Jamarcus King. The JUCO CB is one player that can immediately plug in a hole on the defensive side. At 6'2", 180 lbs. the number one rated JUCO defensive back is polished enough to come in and shut down receivers right away in Muschamp and Robinson's defense.

Sleeper Pick: Rico Dowdle. Slightly underrated and possibly overlooked, Dowdle adds depth and aid to a running back unit that's suddenly scrambling to identify "the guy" with the departure of Brandon Wilds and Shon Carson.

Kaci B

Class Grade: B

Overall Thoughts: This is obviously not an elite class (which is why I didn't give it an A), but it's a good one. The Gamecocks are coming off of an awful year and have a brand new coaching staff. With the current state of the program I think they ending up with a top 30 class is something to be excited about, or at the very least encouraged by.

Most Excited For: Is it too obvious to choose Brandon McIlwain? Because that's who I'm gonna have to go with.

Sleeper Pick: I'm an optimist, so I believe that all of the guys in this class will go on to develop into 5-star talent.

Daniel Sweeney

Class Grade: B+

Overall Thoughts: Given the circumstances, I'm thrilled with the class. The 3-9 season, coaching change and seemingly downward trajectory of the program could've spelled disaster for the latest recruiting haul. Serious needs were addressed and key recruits were kept in the fold. Very happy with how everything turned out.

Most Excited For: Kiel Pollard. Pollard was the Class 6A Georgia High School Player of the Year. He led his team to back-to-back state titles. He's got great size, good speed and solid hands. I just think UGA and other SEC schools that recruit the Peach State hard will rue the day they decided not to offer Pollard. All to our advantage. Can't wait to see what he can do.

Sleeper Pick: Rico Dowdle. I really think he's going to be stud. Think Pharoh Cooper 2.0. I think he's one of those special players who just makes plays. Had he played running back exclusively in high school, I think he would've been much higher rated by the recruiting services. Having spent time at QB and WR in high school, his versatility should help put him on the field early.

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What are your overall thoughts on the class? Who are you most excited to see in the garnet and black? Tell us below!