South Carolina football has entered a new era of success as a program, and there is one major factor that reveals just how successful the Gamecocks are on the verge of becoming.  No, it isn't the record setting 20-wins in two seasons that reveal the growth. Many teams have good seasons for a variety of factors. However, those teams turn out to be flashes in the pan. Recent "flash in the pan" teams include Kansas, South Florida, and potentially Baylor.   No, the growth isn't based on the number of wins. The number of wins is caused by the growth in the program.  This growth, rather, has been in recruiting.  South Carolina has now established itself as a perennial player for some of the best players in the country. In fact, South Carolina became the first non-traditional power school to grab the unanimous No. 1 prospect in the country in Jadeveon Clowney.  The 2011 class was stellar, and people were extremely excited about the prospects coming on board. Indeed, Clowney wasn't the only reason to be excited about it.  The scary part is that 2012's class has the potential to be even deeper and more talented. Make no mistake, South Carolina gets most of the players it really wants. Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore, Jadeveon Clowney and Shaq Roland are all examples of this. These are players that everyone wants. South Carolina no longer has to pick from the dregs and rejects, hoping that a 2-star player becomes a star.  2013 is around the corner, and the Gamecocks are already in contention for some of the country's best players. This in and of itself is the biggest reason for the Gamecocks success and the biggest reason why they aren't going anywhere any time soon. The Gamecocks are here, and built to last.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

Look out SEC East as the South Carolina Gamecocks have reloaded with top-notch talent that is ready to keep the winning ways in Columbia, SC going. USC closed out with a solid recruiting class that fulfilled many of their needs and added key depth in places for the immediate future. The Gamecocks class was rated the nation's 11th-best by CBSSports.com, behind only Alabama and Florida in the SEC. Scout.com rated the class No. 12 (behind Alabama, Florida and LSU in the league). ESPN put the Gamecocks at No. 16. Rivals.com had the lowest opinion of the class, slotting it No. 19 in the country. Let’s take a quick look at some key recruits that have a strong chance of starting in 2012 and a few that will get lost in the mix:Begin Slideshow

Look out SEC East as the South Carolina Gamecocks have reloaded with top-notch talent that is ready to keep the winning ways in Columbia, SC going. USC closed out with a solid recruiting class that fulfilled many of their needs and added key depth in places for the immediate future. The Gamecocks class was rated the nation's 11th-best by CBSSports.com, behind only Alabama and Florida in the SEC. Scout.com rated the class No. 12 (behind Alabama, Florida and LSU in the league). ESPN put the Gamecocks at No. 16. Rivals.com had the lowest opinion of the class, slotting it No. 19 in the country. Let’s take a quick look at some key recruits that have a strong chance of starting in 2012 and a few that will get lost in the mix:Begin Slideshow

South Carolina's recruiting class lacked sizzle, sparkle and drama.  That's quite all right with the head ball coach; there aren't any holes in this class. There is one project-type player, and the rest can contribute—some right away.There are potential stars. Most are high-character kids and highly recruited by big-name schools.  Make no mistake, South Carolina's class is still widely regarded as one of the top 12-18 classes in the country. There is no Jadeveon Clowney or Marcus Lattimore, but there is enough here to continue South Carolina's winning ways.   The Stars: Shaq Roland, Wide Receiver Mike Davis, Running Back Chaz Elder, Defensive Back   The Potential Stars: Jerell Adams, Tight End Jordan Diggs, Defensive Back Jody Fuller, Wide Reciever Darius English, Defensive End Kyle Fleetwood, Defensive Back    The Immediate Contributors: Joe Harris, Offensive Lineman Brock Stadnik, Offensive Lineman T.J. Gurley, Defensive Back T.J. Holloman, Linebacker Chris Moody, Defensive Back Nick St. Germain, Kicker   Redshirt Players Who Will be Great Down the Road: Carlos Hood, Defensive Tackle Kaiwan Lewis, Linebacker Rico McWilliams, Defensive Back Brendan Nosovitch, Quarterback Kelvin Rainey, Tight End Kendric Salley, Running Back Kwinton Smith, Wide Receiver Clayton Stadnik, Center Jhaustin Thomas, Defensive End Cody Waldrop, Offensive Line   Low-Risk/High-Reward Project Player: Mason Zandi, Offensive Line   The Gamecocks have come a long way. They used to get 2- to 3-star players exclusively, now they compete toe-to-toe with some of the biggest programs in the country.  It has snowballed into a dangerous sleeping giant in the SEC.  This class is extremely deep. There are contributors across the board and plenty of sleeper stars. This class is deeper and more talented than 2011's, and that class had Jadeveon Clowney in it.  Overall Grade:  ARead more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

The South Carolina football team has a solid 2012 class ready to continue the winning ways that coach Steve Spurrier has instilled in the program. Out of the 25 commitments that are part of the incoming class, there was one lone quarterback signed—Brendan Nosovitch. Nosovitch (Allenton, Pa./Central Catholic) is someone you may not have heard a lot of due to him committing to being a member of the Gamecocks football team in the summer of 2011. Don't let not hearing the hype cloud your perceptions regarding him, as he has the potential to become a special player under the tutelage of Coach Spurrier. Nosovitch is just the type mobile quarterback that Coach Spurrier has come to like running his offensive game plan. One strength of Nosovitch is his ability to throw accurately on the run.  He is also very capable tucking and running, which should translate well in the zone-read scheme that the Gamecocks currently use. Nosovitch claims a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and a 4.3-second pro shuttle. This 6'2" 200 pound quarterback had a very successful high school career as he finished as the No. 2 all-time leader in passing yardage in Pennsylvania with more than 9,200 yards.  He also was named a member of the 2012 Parade All-American team.   This is the first Parade All-American quarterback to sign with South Carolina since Steve Taneyhill. Keep in mind the state of Pennsylvania produced the likes of Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas and Jim Kelly. Not saying he will have a similar football career, but don't be surprised when he outshines the 3-star rating he was given by all the recruiting sites. Nosovitch chose USC over the likes of Clemson, Eastern Michigan, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Ohio, Temple and Virginia. His senior year was impressive as he broke records by passing for 3,890 yards, rushing for 841 yards and ending the year with 53 total touchdowns. USC made him their No. 1 target for 2012 and they got their man. He is likely to redshirt in 2012 but by 2013 he could be pushing for some reps. Look for him to wear No. 5 during his career in the garnet and black.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

South Carolina has wrapped up another National Signing Day that has the Gamecocks' class currently ranked anywhere from 12th in recruiting rankings to 18th.Steve Spurrier and staff did a great job landing several top recruits like RB Mike Davis, WR Shaq Roland and DB Chaz Elder. They were also able to hang onto this class when the coaching staff suffered some turnover during the offseason.All in all, it was an impressive haul for the Gamecocks.There are always some hits and some misses in the recruiting game. This is a look at a few of those players that the Gamecocks landed and missed on throughout the process.Begin Slideshow

South Carolina has wrapped up another National Signing Day that has the Gamecocks' class currently ranked anywhere from 12th in recruiting rankings to 18th.Steve Spurrier and staff did a great job landing several top recruits like RB Mike Davis, WR Shaq Roland and DB Chaz Elder. They were also able to hang onto this class when the coaching staff suffered some turnover during the offseason.All in all, it was an impressive haul for the Gamecocks.There are always some hits and some misses in the recruiting game. This is a look at a few of those players that the Gamecocks landed and missed on throughout the process.Begin Slideshow

The South Carolina Gamecocks are on track to an SEC title—or better yet a national title. After spending nearly a decade in the shadows of powerhouse rivals such as Tennessee, Florida and Georgia and managing mediocre seasons, the Gamecocks are proving they are ready to contend with the best on the national level.The past two seasons, the Gamecocks have gone 8-0 against top SEC rivals Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and in-state rival Clemson. They ended the 2011 season in the top 10 and are entering National Signing Day with the 15th-ranked recruiting class.South Carolina has turned its reputation of being an easy win into a team people look out for every season. Having spent season after season seeing glimpses of potential, the Ole Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, finally has a team of stars and is using it fully.Here are five reasons why the SEC could be shocked by South Carolina in 2012.Begin Slideshow

The South Carolina Gamecocks are on track to an SEC title—or better yet a national title. After spending nearly a decade in the shadows of powerhouse rivals such as Tennessee, Florida and Georgia and managing mediocre seasons, the Gamecocks are proving they are ready to contend with the best on the national level.The past two seasons, the Gamecocks have gone 8-0 against top SEC rivals Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and in-state rival Clemson. They ended the 2011 season in the top 10 and are entering National Signing Day with the 15th-ranked recruiting class.South Carolina has turned its reputation of being an easy win into a team people look out for every season. Having spent season after season seeing glimpses of potential, the Ole Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, finally has a team of stars and is using it fully.Here are five reasons why the SEC could be shocked by South Carolina in 2012.Begin Slideshow

The South Carolina Gamecocks are on track to an SEC title—or better yet a national title. After spending nearly a decade in the shadows of powerhouse rivals such as Tennssee, Florida and Georgia and managing mediocre seasons, the Gamecocks are proving they are ready to contend with the best on the national level.The past two seasons, the Gamecocks have gone 8-0 against top SEC rivals Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and in-state rival Clemson. They ended the 2011 season in the top 10 and are entering National Signing Day with the 15th-ranked recruiting class.South Carolina has turned its reputation of being an easy win into a team people look out for every season. Having spent season after season seeing glimpses of potential, the Ole Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, finally has a team of stars and is using it fully.Here are five reasons why the SEC could be shocked by South Carolina in 2012.Begin Slideshow