TheBigSpur.com
first reported earlier this week that South Carolina has jumped in the mix with an offer to one of the top athletes in the Jacksonville area.
Demetre Baker (Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park) spoke with TheBigSpur.com about his thoughts on the Gamecocks and the other programs that are in the mix for his services, his overall recruitment and what connections he has to the USC program. Find out the latest in this recruiting update
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In addition to Carolina, Southern Miss, Michigan State, FIU, and Georgia (verbal offer) have offered Baker. Florida, Rutgers and Miami (Fla.) are showing attention as well.
Baker emerged as a major Division I prospect with a standout showing at the
Jacksonville Under Armour Combine on March 7. The 6-foot, 200-pounder ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, a 4.31-second shuttle, a 7.44-second three-cone shuttle and had a staggering 40.5-inch vertical leap.
He talked about the Gamecocks, Bulldogs and Gators.
South Carolina: "(USC receivers coach and Jacksonville-area recruiter
Steve Spurrier Jr. came by and watched some of my film and he took my coaches word and then offered me. He told my coach that I was an awesome player both ways. They are recruiting me at safety, linebacker, and running back. The son of my coach Danny Green (Corey Green) played at South Carolina and he has told me a little about them. I’m going take a visit in early June and check them out for myself. My coach has told me that the school is in a good spot and it’s a good town. He said it was a good school academically."
Georgia: "They offered me three days ago. Coach Mark Richt called me and told me I had an offer. I should get it in the mail soon. I don’t know too much about Georgia but I know it’s a big school and its pretty close to Jacksonville. Coach Richt told me he feels like I can make an impact and is ready for me to visit. He said he really liked my highlight tape."
Florida: "I’ve talked to Coach Urban Meyer. He really wants me to visit so they can evaluate me. They said they plan on offering me. They have great athletes. They have a good team but all I hear about is Tim Tebow. I need to visit and get a feeling how they run things there."
Baker will hit the road June 6-14. He plans to check out Miami on June 6, Florida on June 8 and then will head to Athens and Columbia. He said he estimated he would be at Carolina on June 13.
"I am going to be looking at everybody’s character and personalities,” he said. “How they act when bad things happen. They need to have a lot of leadership and good people around. I like people that get after it and I am a serious type of person when on the field."
Baker will have an eye toward making a commitment before the school year ends.
“I am going to sit down with my family after I go to all these camps see what they think,” he said. “I am going to talk to my mom and see what she thinks. Then I am going to go with my gut feeling. I will probably commit right when school starts back. After that I plan on taking an official visit to the school I commit to and that’s it. I shouldn’t have to take all five of my official visits."
He also named a top five of Georgia, USC, Florida, Southern Mississippi and Florida International. Of those schools, he has only been to FIU. He said the Bulldogs and Gamecocks stand out the most at the current time.
“I think it will come down to those two schools,” he said.
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