Gamecocks first to offer South Pointe’s Eli Adams
When eighth-grader Eli Adams showed up at South Pointe for summer workouts a couple of years ago, Stallions coach Strait Herron immediately said, “you’re over here with us,” pointing the chiseled middle-schooler toward the varsity group.
South Carolina Gamecocks coaches had a similar response when they watched Adams Thursday night during a skills practice at South Pointe. Any reticence they had - was his size sufficient? what position would he play? was he fast enough? - blew away in the stiff breeze.
“As soon as they saw him, they were, like, slobbering at the mouth,” said Herron.
The Gamecocks offered Adams a scholarship Friday morning, his first.
“Like any kid, I was hoping,” he said. “But it still surprised me when they did.”
I was trying to play it cool, but I was all different types of emotions. My parents don’t have to worry about paying for college and I get to play the sport I love.
South Pointe sophomore Eli Adams
The 6-foot, 230-pound Adams was a one-man wrecking crew on the Stallions’ defensive line last fall, racking up 114 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss and 20 sacks. Herron called Adams one of the strongest players the South Pointe program has ever had, and the 10th grader’s protruding trapezius muscles - two curved humps between his neck and both shoulders - help confirm that belief.
South Carolina coaches told Herron that Adams would fit in their “buck” linebacker position, a linebacker that primarily rushes the passer, but from many different spots on the defensive front. The buck also drops into pass coverage.
“I heard that size would be an issue, but I proved that I can move,” Adams said. “I’m a pass rusher and I can do that from any spot on the field.”
Adams, who has a 3.0 grade point average, is the latest in a growing lineage of major college defensive line prospects at South Pointe. He said he specifically tries to emulate Jadeveon Clowney’s first step - admittedly tough to do - and Zeek Rodney’s explosion and power at the snap of the ball.
“Little pieces of each,” Adams said.
Some of Clowney and Rodney’s abilities were simply down to good genetics. Adams’ gene pool isn’t bad either.
Older local high school football fans will remember Adams’ father, Daniel Adams, as a key contributor to Northwestern’s 1989 state title team. Daniel Adams picked up the running back slack after his cousin Jeff Burris injured his ankle before the playoffs, rushing for a pair of scores in the title game.
Daniel Adams will likely accompany his son to the many camps he’ll be attending this summer. Eli Adams, who talked with around 20 coaches of FBS programs this spring, said he plans to visit Syracuse and Maryland on a combined trip, and might also head down to see some schools in Florida. He’ll camp at Clemson and plans to make an official visit to South Carolina as well.
Adams said his attention to the weight room comes from his dad.
“He always told me it was gonna pay off,” Adams said. “Today it paid off.”
Other recruiting notes:
▪ Northwestern juniors Jerry Howard and Gage Moloney continue to rake in scholarship offers, with Howard adding ones from Colorado State, Charlotte, Air Force and Towson in the last month. Moloney recently added Ohio University, Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern to his pile, which already included Colorado State, East Carolina and James Madison, among others.
But another Trojan is starting to pick up continually more college recruiting interest, linebacker Caliph Brice. Gardner-Webb was the first to extend him an offer about three weeks ago, and he recently added one from Mercer. Brice, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker, made 69 tackles and intercepted two passes last season as a junior; his versatility should give Northwestern coaches plenty of options to explore during spring practice.
Lastly on the Northwestern front, senior offensive lineman Demontre Buckson - The Herald’s 2015 Hawg of the Year - signed with Howard. Buckson was an All-Area selection and an unquestioned leader of the Trojans’ offensive line the last couple of seasons.
▪ On the junior college front, things are starting to fall into place for former South Pointe receiving standout Anthony Johnson. He recently took a visit to Missouri State and has another one slated for the University of Buffalo. Johnson played his first season of college ball at Butler Community College before transferring to Iowa Western this past season. He was a home run-hitter at receiver for both schools.
This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Gamecocks first to offer South Pointe’s Eli Adams."