South Carolina Class of 2011 Preseason Top 30, 21-30

21. Ralph Cooper, ILB, Fairfield Central (Winnsboro)

Cooper is a solid, blue-collar LB. He has capable size at 6'0, 225, and above-average testing numbers consistently running 40's in the 4.6-4.7 range and sub 4.3 times in the 20-yard pro-shuttle. While Cooper isn't going to wow anyone with bone-jarring hits on his highlight tape, he's very consistent, particularly against the run.  I really like his ability to read his keys and react accordingly (often an overlooked trait, but albeit very important). Cooper will be a nice grab for a school looking for a run-stuffing ILB.


22. Mike Rose, DE/OLB, Hillcrest (Simpsonville)

Rose is one of the more intriguing prospects in this class. He has an outstanding combination of size and speed at 6'3, 210 with the ability to run in the 4.5 range (has run 22.1 200m in track).  Rose is raw on film (needs to get stronger at the point of contact and can be a bit stiff in the hips) and plays for a struggling program, but I still like his upside. His speed is evident running sideline to sideline and as a FB on offense (broke a few long runs). It might take Rose a while to develop once he gets to college, but he's a high ceiling guy. 


23. Gerald Dixon, DL, South Pointe (Rock Hill)

Dixon is the brother of Gerald Dixon Jr. (of Northwestern HS) and DL cohort of Jadeveon Clowney, the nation's top prospect. His father, Gerald Dixon, Sr., starred at the University of South Carolina in the early 90's, before enjoying a productive nine year career in the NFL. Originally seen as more of a tweener at 6'2, this Gerald Dixon, like his brother, has put on a good bit of size in the last few months (moving from 245 to 260) making a move inside at the college level more likely. Like most defensive players at South Pointe, Dixon's motor really stands out on film. He's all over the field, and is particularly effective on special teams.


24. DeShaun Williams, NT, Daniel (Central) Clemson Verbal

Williams is a space-eater at defensive tackle, who will more than likely find himself playing over the center for the Tigers. He's strong at the point of attack and is by all accounts a hard worker. Williams has grown a bit (up to 6'1, 290) and has done a nice job moving around some bad body weight. Even with these improvements, he still lacks the athleticism and quickness of other interior defensive linemen in this class. 


25. Loranzo Hammonds, ATH, North Augusta

Hammonds is a bit of an unknown and operates at North Augusta without a whole lot of fanfare. Regardless, this guy is a player, and perhaps the biggest sleeper in the state. Last season, Hammonds was one of the more productive players in the state passing for 2,315 yards and 31 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions while rushing for 1,016 yards and 13 touchdowns. On film, Hammonds shows play-making ability, particularly with his feet, flashing nice vision and toughness. Hammonds made news a few weeks ago after he was cuffed during a traffic stop, so that's a situation to watch, particularly if it somehow affects his senior year. It seemed somewhat minor to me though, but we'll see.


26.  Zeph Grimes, DB, Bamberg-Ehrhardt (Bamberg) Illinois Verbal

Grimes is a shorter DB (5'9-5'10 range) but has done a good job gaining weight (up to about 200) in the past year.  On film, Grimes flashes desirable tackling ability (particularly in the open field), is adept at blitzing off the edge, and plays with the kind of fire you want from your players. It's somewhat difficult to get a read on Grimes's coverage abilities, as he primarily plays in the box for Bamberg-Ehrhardt. If he proves to be equally as good in coverage as he is in run support, Grimes could be in for a solid bump.


27. Desmond Floyd, DE, Union County (Union) Wake Forest Verbal

Floyd has great height (6'5.5) and length. On film he effectively uses his reach to corral ball carriers in the backfield. I originally had Floyd much higher, but after seeing him in person this summer, it became evident that he needs to reshape his body a good bit, which is somewhat concerning considering he's only around 230 right now.  


28. Donte Sumpter, WR, Myrtle Beach East Carolina Verbal
What Sumpter lacks in physical tools (about 5'10 170) he makes up for with smarts and outstanding route running. On film, Sumpter proves to be the best route runner in the state, by a fair margin. Using an arsenal of double and even triple moves, Sumpter is very difficult to defend, particularly against man schemes. He gets in and out of his breaks effectively and consistently gets separation, while also being tough after the catch. Sumpter had a very productive junior season as Everett Golson's top target, hauling in 75 catches for 1,056 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's a perfect fit for East Carolina's new Air-Raid offense.


29. Glenn Hilliard, CB, TL Hanna (Anderson) East Carolina Verbal
Hilliard was an unknown entering the spring, but has benefited from solid showings on the summer camp circuit. He doesn't appear to be as big as he's listed (more like 5'10 170 than 6'0 180), but on film, Hilliard has a smooth backpedal and shows very nice anticipation and ability to make plays on the ball. He should be a very solid CB for the Pirates.


30. De'Edward Burris, ATH, Gaffney
Burris, like Hammonds above, is an example of the case where high schools put one of their better athletes back at QB, despite it not being his ideal college position. Burris has been productive for one of the state's biggest programs and in one of the state's toughest regions. He primarily projects as a slot WR or DB, although I could see him playing QB for some FCS programs. BUrris doesn't have outstanding size (5'11 170), but he has nice shake and quickness. In addition to Burris, Gaffney has two very promising underclassmen in 2012 WR Quinshad Davis and 2013 DL Jaylen Miller.


Next Five:
Robert Smith, DB, Woodland (Dorchester) Clemson Verbal
B.J. Goodson, LB, Lamar
Sam Merriman, LB, Marlboro County (Bennettsville)
Julius Pendergrass, APB, Chester
Hakeem Flowers, WR, Wade Hampton (Greenville)