ESPN 300 wide receiver Shi Smith commits to South Carolina

South Carolina added a prized piece to their 2017 recruiting class on Friday as 4-star Union County wide receiver Shi Smith committed to the Gamecocks this afternoon. Smith has been vocal about South Carolina leading his recruitment for quite some time now and today he made it official, choosing the Gamecocks over the likes of Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Clemson, North Carolina and others. He joins Shawn Smith of Brunswick, Georgia as the second receiver to commit to South Carolina for 2017 and is now the highest rated player in the Gamecocks' 2017 class.

Committed ❤️ #SpursUp pic.twitter.com/jjtc3k0y2n

— 1K️ (@Check1_) June 11, 2016

Smith is an ESPN 300 recruit nationally, the second-ranked receiver in the state of South Carolina and one of the top overall receivers in the class of 2017. His decision to come to South Carolina is yet another statement in recruiting that the Gamecocks are finding their way back and can absolutely go out and compete for some of the nations top talent, especially when it exists in their own backyard. Keeping a guy like Smith in-state is what South Carolina has to do in order to maximize their recruiting potential, so this was a big get for Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks' staff.

Adding Smith to the receiving corps will be a welcomed addition for a Gamecocks team that, heading into 2016, has very few proven commodities at receiver. At 6'0, 170 pounds, Smith is quick, versatile, runs crisp routes and is a flat-out play-maker with the ball in his hands. With the skill set he brings to the table, he could very well compete for playing time as a freshman in 2017.

Here are his 2015 junior highlights: