Will Muschamp landing a commitment from defensive end Zacch Pickens of T.L. Hanna High School set off an alarm around the state.
The Gamecocks' third-year head coach went into Dabo Swinney's backyard, and Kirby Smart's neighborhood, and landed a player both wanted. And while Swinney and Smart can sell the here and now for their top four programs, Muschamp won out with the promise of a bright future for the talented Pickens in his up-and-coming program in Columbia.
Pickens is a national recruit and could have gone anywhere in the country. Early in his high school career, the word in recruiting circles was that he was all Clemson.