Gamecocks continue push for CB John Fulton

Fulton, the Manning (S.C.) high standout, has South Carolina with a slight lead over fellow finalists Alabama and Florida, and Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier, a noted recruiting closer, visited Fulton at home Monday night.

He went in with heavy support, joined by defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson and assistants Shane Beamer and Lorenzo Ward.

Fulton, who is ranked 5^th on our SC Top 25 Prospects list, attended the Clemson game last weekend. He said he will announce his choice on ESPNU on Dec. 17.

--Stan Olson

Got recruiting news? Pop it to solson@charlotteobserver.com

Coach: Shembo likely to stay with Notre Dame

After talking Tuesday with Notre Dame commitment Kendall Moore of Southeast Raleigh High and learning that he will now look at other schools in the wake of the firing of Irish coach Charlie Weis, I also called fellow linebacker and ND commitment Prince Shembo of Ardrey Kell.

I haven’t reached Shembo yet—he texts but apparently doesn’t check his voice mail—but I just spoke with Ardrey Kell coach Marty Woolbright. He thinks Shembo will stick with Notre Dame.

“He committed to Notre Dame, the school, not to Charlie Weis,” Woolbright said. “He wants to be a Notre Dame guy. His family likes the school as well.

“Back when recruiting was going on, I told him to look around as much as he wanted, but when he committed, ‘You’ve given your word, and that’s your bond.

“When you make that decision, that’s it.”

--Stan Olson

Crest's Wilkins flips from Heels to Wolfpack

Boiling Springs Crest High athlete Reggie Wilkins has switched his commitment from North Carolina to N.C. State.

Wilkins, a three-year starter at QB for the Chargers, will be used at wide receiver by the Wolfpack.

“I wanted to play for (NCSU coach Tom) O’Brien,” Wilkins said in a statement released by Crest football coach Roy Kirby. “I’ve become pretty good friends with this year’s recruits and some of the guys that are already there.”

Wilkins attended Saturday’s come from behind N.C. State victory over the Tar Heels, and liked what he saw in Wolfpack QB Russell Wilson.

“He believes he can have something special with Wilson, both on and off the field,” Kirby said moments ago.

Another factor may be that North Carolina already has a large number of young wide receivers, while N.C. State as fewer.

“State told Reggie he was the No.1 receiver on their board for their Class of 2010,” Kirby said.

--Stan Olson

Irish commitment Moore now looking around

Southeast Raleigh linebacker and Notre Dame commitment Kendall Moore, the No.8 player on The Observer’s Top 25 NC Prospects list, is opening up his recruiting again, he said a few minutes ago.

He’s doing so because of the firing this week of Irish head coach Charlie Weis.

“I guess I’m still a commitment to Notre Dame, but I’m going to be looking around,” Moore said. “Right now, I don’t really have a backup plan and I’m trying to put one together.

“I’d have to say that the schools that would currently make up my top five would be Florida State, South Carolina, N.C. State, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. But I’m thinking I may have to open it up beyond that. My coach says that a lot of schools have been calling him.”

Moore and Ardrey Kell’s Prince Shembo, the state’s top two linebackers, both committed to Notre Dame. I’ve got a call into Shembo and if I get him, I’ll pass along his thoughts on the subject.

--Stan Olson

Appalachian State adds a fourth O-Line recruit

And this one, 6-foot-6, 270-pound Dylan Bostick, picked the Mountaineers site unseen. He just finished his prep career at Neptune Beach (Fla.) Fletcher High.

Bostick is a quality player who had been drawing interest from Florida State, Tennessee and a number of other majors. He had a handful of offers from FCS-level schools.

But he picked Appalachian without ever having visited Boone.

He studied the recruiting materials the school sent him, and saw all kinds of pictures of the university on the internet.

“I talked to my family, and we just felt like it was a really good option,” he told MountaineerIllustrated.com. The coaches were really excited when I told them I was coming to Appalachian.”

As well they should be. The Mountaineers are putting together a remarkable group of offensive line recruits in their class of 2010. All four of their commitments are huge, and all four have drawn some interest from FBS schools.

Expect their future O-line to be a key in the school’s annual quest for the national championship.

--Stan Olson

Tar Heels receive P.J. Clyburn’s commitment

North Carolina was the school that West Iredell senior LB/S P.J. Clyburn had always been waiting on.

“It was my dream school; I grew up loving them,” Clyburn said moments ago. “They offered me last Friday and I’ve been excited ever since then.”

He accepted, and Tar Heels coaches will visit him this afternoon to present him with the official offer.

“They offered last Friday and I’ve been excited ever since then,” Clyburn said.

Clyburn was slowed late in the season by a torn meniscus, but played anyway.

“The most frustrating thing is that I won’t be able to play in the Shrine Bowl (he was selected),” but I still have my career in Chapel Hill to look forward to.”

He chose North Carolina over Illinois, South Carolina and East Carolina, all of whom had offered earlier.

Clyburn said he is now 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, and while he would prefer to play safety, he understands that OLB makes for sense as he fills out.

He’s a remarkable athlete; he has returned two punts and two kickoffs for scores this year.

“I had about ten sacks and around 60 tackles,” Clyburn said.

He’s ranked No.17 on our NC Top 25 prospects list.

One sticking point remains—a math class he must complete to qualify. He plans to try to take it over the summer, and if that isn’t possible, he’ll attend prep school for a semester. But Clyburn said regardless of what he has to do, he’ll eventually be a Tar Heel.

“It’s where I’ve always wanted to go,” he said.

--Stan Olson

If you have any recruiting information, pop it to me at solson@charlotteobserver.com

Deacons, Tar Heels, Wolfpack checking out WR

I couldn’t find Winston-Salem Reynolds junior wide receiver Jake Gainey mentioned on any of three national recruiting sites I checked, but that doesn’t mean that young Mr. Gainey hasn’t recently been discovered by the big boys.

“His recruiting really picked up during the second half of the season,” Reynolds coach Mike Propst said. “All the ACC schools and East Carolina are looking at him.”

And for good reason; Gainey had an amazing season, finishing with 49 catches for a whopping 1,308 yards, a stunning average of 26.7 yards a catch. Even more remarkable was that Gainey turned 23 of the 49 receptions into touchdowns.

“I’ve never heard of a stat like that,” Propst said.

Gainey also returned two kickoffs and a punt for scores before teams began regularly kicking away from him.

“He’s a legitimate 4.5-second (in the 40-yard dash) guy,” said Propst. “And he can catch everything you throw at him. He had one drop all year.”

Gainey is 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, so he can add muscle before next year. Right now, his three favorite schools are Wake Forest, North Carolina and N.C. State, in that order, according to Propst.

The sudden interest by so many schools shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, game-breakers are in short supply.

--Stan Olson