Crootin’ Notebook: Dakereon Joyner earns Elite 11 Finals invite, RJ Roderick delays decision

Both Dakereon Joyner and Tyler Shough, the South Carolina Gamecocks’ top two quarterback targets for the 2018 recruiting cycle, received invitations to the Elite 11 Finals on Monday.

Joyner and Shough will join 24 of the nation’s top rising senior quarterbacks at the three day event in Los Angeles, where they will compete for a chance to be named among the Elite 11 and the opportunity to showcase their skills at The Opening Finals.

This spring has seen Shough rise as one of the 2018 class’s top pro-style targets, receiving offers from the likes of Michigan, Alabama, Florida State and Louisville since the beginning of April. Thought to be a heavy lean to USC earlier in the process, he is now believed to favor Michigan after visiting Ann Arbor this weekend and spending considerable one-on-one time with head coach John Harbaugh.

However, following the visit Shough did say to The State that the Gamecocks are still among his top schools and praised the relationship he has built with offensive coordinator Kurt Roper.

Joyner, a four-star dual-threat quarterback out of North Charleston and the No. 3 prospect in South Carolina per 247Sports, earned his invitation after impressing at The Opening Regional in Charlotte. Recruited by some schools as an athlete and defensive back, the bid confirms that he is among the top signal callers in the country.

Joyner released a video declaring N.C. State and USC as his final two schools earlier in May. He is scheduled to make his final announcement on Father’s Day, June 18, in honor of his late father.

Roderick pushes back decision timeline

Summerville, SC athlete R.J. Roderick was thought to be on the verge of committing to South Carolina, but recently announced that he will be waiting until later this summer to make a final decision.

Per SportsTalk, Roderick had been under the impression that he had to make a decision by early June in order to early enroll. After realizing that he misunderstood the process, Roderick has decided to let his recruitment play out through the summer.

This may not be the best news for the Gamecocks, as Roderick’s recruitment has been picking up steam as of late. He is being recruited as a safety by USC, but recently received offers from Georgia Tech as a quarterback and N.C. State as a wide receiver. Roderick has also received considerable interest from Clemson as a running back.

Teague set to announce commitment

Three-star running back Master Teague out of Murfreesboro, TN announced on Twitter Monday evening that his final college decision will be coming soon.

With Deshaun Fenwick already committed, USC is looking to add at least one more running back to the 2018 class. Lavonte Valentine out of Melbourne, FL and Teague are two of the coaching staff’s top targets. Running backs coach Bobby Bentley has been pursuing Teague consistently for some time, and it is known that they have a strong relationship.

Teague’s decision is largely believed to be between Auburn and South Carolina.