South Carolina Football Recruting: Will Muschamp looking to sell passion and tradition in Columbia

Being inside of Williams-Brice Stadium on a Saturday afternoon is one of the most exhilarating experiences in sports. With the crowd all decked out in garnet and black, tailgate lots filled up with fans as smells of grilled delights penetrate the air, and the incredible scene of over 80,000 people on their feet waving white towels and jumping as the techno hit "Sandstorm" by Darude pumps out of the stadium sound system, Williams-Brice is widely considered one of the top stadium atmospheres in college football and is consistently rated at the top of "must-take trips" and "toughest places to play".

All things considered, if you're a kid in high school, being a part of all of the sights and sounds of South Carolina football is alluring, making it one of Will Muschamp's greatest advantages when trying to lure top talent down to Columbia.

The Gamecocks are undoubtedly in a rebuilding period. After years of sustained success, the departure of Steve Spurrier, and a roster that is overall void of talent, South Carolina is trying to land back on their feet, a position that they are not used to being in. For any school that is in a rebuilding period, the number one way to dig yourself out of that hole is recruiting. Luring top talent away from other schools and convincing them to make Columbia their home for the next four years. This is easier said than done, especially when you're coming off of a 3-9 season that included the infamous 23-22 loss to The Citadel on November 21st.

So with all of these potential issues, why would anybody want to go to South Carolina? How can they get and retain top talent? It's simple: the reasons mentioned above. Most players want to be a part of a school with a passionate fan-base and an electric stadium atmosphere, two things South Carolina offers. This will be Muschamp's biggest selling point when it comes to swaying recruits down to Columbia. Muschamp even called upon the fans to come out to the spring game to show the many recruits who will be mixed into the crowd "what South Carolina football is all about."

Like Muschamp said, next Saturday is an extremely important day for South Carolina football recruiting. A good atmosphere on Saturday could convince some recruits that South Carolina is where they want to play, and with several key recruits visiting on Saturday, it's time for the fans, community, and coaches to show the recruits the pride and tradition behind South Carolina football. These same people need to show that they still support the program even after a disastrous 2015 season and that they'll continue to support the program no matter what happens. If all of this can be demonstrated, next Saturday should be a successful recruiting day for the Gamecocks.