re: 2016 South Carolina Football Recruiting Feed

247 4* RB (3* Composite),) Rico Dowdle Commits to SC!

https://247sports.com/Player/Rico-Dowdle-82069

https://twitter.com/bdowdle10/status/685547215339827200

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Follow

Rico Dowdle
@bdowdle10
Officially committed to the University of South Carolina! ?? #spursup ??

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Glad to get this guy in the fold.

From what I wrote about him a couple weeks ago.

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New 2016 RB Offer...wow. I didn't believe it at first,

I thought 'NO WAY could a kid like this go under the radar so long.'

Then I thought, 'someone is exaggerating his stats, those can't be legit.'

Today, SC offered a 2016 RB, unranked Rico Dowdle from AC Reynolds HS in NC. AC Reynolds was a playoff team this year, made the 2nd round (3AA, 3rd highest classification in NC, same as Concord, Southern, Hickory Ridge and Crest). I had never heard of this kid though, but to be fair he is on the opposite side of the state.

I wondered what the hell we were doing offering an unranked RB so late in the process, so I looked at his maxpreps stats.
Sr Season
6'0"
201 lbs
4.4 40 yd
3.8 shuttle
285 lbs bench
415 lbs squat
214 Carries, 2,382 rushing yards, 11.1 ypc avg, 48 rushing TD's,
90 Completions, 68.4% comp, 1,211 passing yards, 10 TD's, 4 INT's
70 Total TD's.
LINK

Then I look at his Jr and Soph seasons and there aren't really any stats of note, so I wondered if someone was embellishing the numbers.


So then I decided to look at his highlight reels below.
Rico Dowdle Sr Season Highlights - 1st 3 weeks

Rico Dowdle Sr Season - Week 7 -Western NC POTW - 232 yds rushing 6 TD's

Rico Dowdle Sr Season - Week 12 - Western NC POTW - 282 yds rushing, 6 TD's

Rico Dowdle Jr Season Highlights, wore #10, not #5.

Here's what I saw on the highlight reels:
- For him to do what he did with that fat, out of shape OL is pretty damn spectacular. They DID NOT block well for him.
- He is fast, maybe not 4.4 fast, but absolutely sub 4.6. If you told me he ran an electronically timed 4.5, I would believe you. He has really solid acceleration, but the it really kicks in at 2nd gear. He can get going early, but when he's on the 5th-ish step, that's when his acceleration seems to really pop and he starts flying by people.
- He does the thing Nyheim Hines and AJ Turner do when they are cutting with their feet moving, but he looks like he's floating. He really just seems like he's gliding out there, very smooth runner.
- Keeps his shoulder pads even, but needs to lower them more going through the line.
- He only lost 1 fumble this year, but I find that amazing b/c he doesn't switch the ball to his outside shoulder/arm, he runs with it in his right hand all the time. Also, he doesn't get to hands on the ball before/during contact, he's always trying to stiff arm someone or balance himself.
- He has solid vision and can find the holes in the defense.
- We could absolutely use him as a Wildcat option b/c he can pass really well for a RB.

The whole reason nobody heard about him is b/c in 2013 and 2014 he didn't play much, he had a fraction of the snaps he had in 2015. NC State caught wind of him this fall, had him in for an OV last week and offered.

He has to do some things to improve the way he moves with the ball, but that's coachable. He makes a lot of plays, has good vision and really good athletic ability.

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Who would you say are the most realistic commits that are left on our board?

What are your thoughts on OG John Simpson?

https://www.seccountry.com/florida/top-miami-commit-on-canes-wr-coach-leaving-its-going-to-make-a-factor-ill-just-leave-it-at-that

The door is open with 4* WR Sam Bruce. He's taking his official to SC on the 15th. The miami WR coach leaving impacted him.

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Who would you say are the most realistic commits that are left on our board?

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4* DB Jayvaugh Myers
4* RB Tyren Jones
3* WR Kiel Pollard
3* LB TJ Brunon
3* ATH Stephen Davis Jr (I don' know how hard we're going to press for him though.)
3* DE Allen Carter
3* DT Jamil Dukes

I feel good about those guys, a lot could change with the January OV's. We'll miss on some, we'll get some others who we thought we were long shots with.

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What are your thoughts on OG John Simpson?

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He's a great player. He tells different media outlets different things about interest levels. A couple of months ago I felt better about our shot with him, now not so much.

He had fallen off of my radar until I was looking over a list of uncommitted in-state prospects. I felt like he would probably go to Clemson.

Thought doddle got a fourth star at the shrine bowl?

Word is the Chavis Dawkins - WR from Byrnes is supposed to announce tomorrow.

Roco Dowdle hudl videos