When Marcus Lattimore stood at the podium of his church, the Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church he certainly made some Gamecock fans, even those in the know, hold their breaths.  Recruits have added tension to announcements in the past, but Lattimore made his announcement one for the ages.
When time came for the decision he said, "My man Stephen Davis has it for me."  Davis, a Spartanburg, South Carolina native and former Auburn running back strode to the podium.  Davis handed Lattimore a black bag and Lattimore pulled an Orange Auburn hat from the bag. 
However the Auburn hat was thrown aside, and underneath was a garnet South Carolina hat.  South Carolina's adopted fight song, "Sandstorm" immediately blared from the speakers.  The people in attendance, many of them Gamecocks fans immediately started cheering.
After announcing his decision to play for South Carolina Marcus Lattimore repeatedly said during his question and answer session that he, "Found the best fit for me."  He didn't hesitate to say though that he, "Was just another piece of the puzzle," making sure that everyone knew that it wasn't all about him.
He also mentioned that he got to speak with new offensive line coach Shawn Elliott, and Lattimore was adamant in stating, "I believe in him, I believe in everything they're trying to do." 
On a more light-hearted note, when asked about Steve Spurrier's recruiting of him Lattimore smiled and said, "He did the Cha-Cha Slide with my momma."  The laughter didn't last too long though, as Lattimore stated "It's time to get to work."  Lattimore has set a goal, "My main goal is beating Southern Miss," the Gamecocks first opponent of 2010.
With four-star linebacker Justin Parker's decision down to South Carolina and rival Clemson Marcus Lattimore stated that on Tuesday night he was going to "call Justin Parker."  Lattimore is the highest profile recruit of Spurrier's tenure at South Carolina, and Marcus may just open the door for more high profile recruits down the line.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

When Marcus Lattimore stood at the podium of his church, the Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church he certainly made some Gamecock fans, even those in the know, hold their breaths.  Recruits have added tension to announcements in the past, but Lattimore made his announcement one for the ages.
When time came for the decision he said, "My man Stephen Davis has it for me."  Davis, a Spartanburg, South Carolina native and former Auburn running back strode to the podium.  Davis handed Lattimore a black bag and Lattimore pulled an Orange Auburn hat from the bag. 
However the Auburn hat was thrown aside, and underneath was a garnet South Carolina hat.  South Carolina's adopted fight song, "Sandstorm" immediately blared from the speakers.  The people in attendance, many of them Gamecocks fans immediately started cheering.
After announcing his decision to play for South Carolina Marcus Lattimore repeatedly said during his question and answer session that he, "Found the best fit for me."  He didn't hesitate to say though that he, "Was just another piece of the puzzle," making sure that everyone knew that it wasn't all about him.
He also mentioned that he got to speak with new offensive line coach Shawn Elliott, and Lattimore was adamant in stating, "I believe in him, I believe in everything they're trying to do." 
On a more light-hearted note, when asked about Steve Spurrier's recruiting of him Lattimore smiled and said, "He did the Cha-Cha Slide with my momma."  The laughter didn't last too long though, as Lattimore stated "It's time to get to work."  Lattimore has set a goal, "My main goal is beating Southern Miss," the Gamecocks first opponent of 2010.
With four-star linebacker Justin Parker's decision down to South Carolina and rival Clemson Marcus Lattimore stated that on Tuesday night he was going to "call Justin Parker."  Lattimore is the highest profile recruit of Spurrier's tenure at South Carolina, and Marcus may just open the door for more high profile recruits down the line.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

I've got to hand it to the SEC—their fans may be bloviating, rah-rah windbags with major conference superiority issues, but man, their recruiting melodramas sure are fun to watch.
Before he selected South Carolina in a ceremony at his high school, no one knew for certain whether five-star running back Marcus Lattimore would be an Auburn Tiger or a Gamecock at the end of the day.
That's because in spite of Twitter, Scout, Rivals, and every wannabe Adam Schefter with a friend of a friend, Lattimore played his recruitment extremely close to the vest all offseason. He even went so far as to suggest that Auburn was leading before his camp went dark a week ago.
When he re-emerged earlier today, it was to tout the merits of both schools and say that his decision was a difficult one. Insiders still predicted South Carolina, but none could say for sure.
After all, as Lattimore himself put it, Auburn had the system (a valid insight into exactly how the Tigers have been able to land all these skill position players). Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, sideline-to-sideline offense is turning heads like Urban Meyer's offense used to.
But in the end, South Carolina had the need. This season, SC's rushing duties were split between three players, none of whom amassed more than 650 yards or 120 carries. Though all three players return, none enrolled at SC with anything close to the hype Lattimore brings, nor the dynamism which he promises.
In fact, in Spurrier's five (soon to be six) years as head coach, the Gamecocks have yet to feature a stellar running back. You'd have to go all the way back to the Ol' Ball Coach's days repping Fred Taylor and the Florida Gators to find a Spurrier running back of note.
Though Spurrier's struggles at developing quarterbacks have been noteworthy, it's in the running game that the OBC really hasn't broken through.
With Lattimore in the bag, South Carolina joins the SEC elite, boasting a five-star RB from Byrnes, S.C., who will enroll as possibly the most highly-touted, well-prepared, and well-rounded player in Spurrier's entire tenure.
Recruitniks praise his completeness, his durability, his speed. He has soft hands, can catch balls out of the backfield, and can pass protect, in addition to his talents in the open (and the tightly-packed) field. Some predict he will be the most accomplished back from this class come draft time.
Those descriptors are the same buzzwords used for the greatest feature backs in the history of the SEC. But not since George Rogers has the Gamecocks' fanbase seen fit to use them for its own players. 
With those soft hands and versatile cuts, Lattimore makes South Carolina an immediate contender. Heading into one of the most wide-open races for the conference and divisional title in recent memory, the talent is spreading evenly across the SEC.
Though an in-camp battle with fellow five-star RB and Auburn commit Michael Dyer would have thrilled Auburn fans, concentrating talent at one school would harm the competitive spirit the SEC holds dear.
Sustaining that parity is what guarantees the SEC remains the most elite and competitive conference, top-to-bottom, in college football. Though Auburn fans might feel stung, in the end, Lattimore's enrollment at South Carolina serves the SEC's greater good.
We enter 2010 not knowing for certain if there are any conference front-runners, with major changes going on at Florida and Alabama on offense and defense. In a power vacuum such as that one, Lattimore's immediate impact, should he become the lead back, will be felt all across the conference.
As far as rankings go, South Carolina is now another on-the-bubble top-15 team looking for a signing day break. The Gamecocks await the last big announcement, that of LB Justin Parker, whose recruitment is a battle they will probably lose to Clemson.
But no matter; the Gamecocks' recruiting season is all but complete, and it ended on the highest of high notes. The Ol' Ball Coach threw everything he had at his state's best player—and landed him.
South Carolina will pick up the 2010 football season with one of the nation's most dynamic and complete rushers on its roster, as a dark-horse contender to battle for the SEC East title, and now, with players who can back up that hype. Time will tell whether that dynamism is all that Spurrier's been missing.
Now, feel free to resume your bloviating.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

I've got to hand it to the SEC—their recruiting melodramas sure are fun to watch.
Before he selected South Carolina in a ceremony at his high school, no one knew for certain whether five-star running back Marcus Lattimore would be an Auburn Tiger or a Gamecock at the end of the day.
That's because in spite of Twitter, Scout, Rivals, and every wannabe Adam Schefter with a friend of a friend, Lattimore played his recruitment extremely close to the vest all offseason. He even went so far as to suggest that Auburn was leading before his camp went dark a week ago.
When he re-emerged earlier today, it was to tout the merits of both schools and say that his decision was a difficult one. Insiders still predicted South Carolina, but none could say for sure.
After all, as Lattimore himself put it, Auburn had the system (a valid insight into exactly how the Tigers have been able to land all these skill position players). Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, sideline-to-sideline offense is turning heads like Urban Meyer's offense used to.
But in the end, South Carolina had the need. This season, SC's rushing duties were split between three players, none of whom amassed more than 650 yards or 120 carries. Though all three players return, none enrolled at SC with anything close to the hype Lattimore brings, nor the dynamism which he promises.
In fact, in Spurrier's five (soon to be six) years as head coach, the Gamecocks have yet to feature a stellar running back. You'd have to go all the way back to the Ol' Ball Coach's days repping Fred Taylor and the Florida Gators to find a Spurrier running back of note.
Though Spurrier's struggles at developing quarterbacks have been noteworthy, it's in the running game that the OBC really hasn't broken through.
With Lattimore in the bag, South Carolina joins the SEC elite, boasting a five-star RB from Byrnes, S.C., who will enroll as possibly the most highly-touted, well-prepared, and well-rounded player in Spurrier's entire tenure.
Recruitniks praise his completeness, his durability, his speed. He has soft hands, can catch balls out of the backfield, and can pass protect, in addition to his talents in the open (and the tightly-packed) field. Some predict he will be the most accomplished back from this class come draft time.
Those descriptors are the same buzzwords used for the greatest feature backs in the history of the SEC. But not since George Rogers has the Gamecocks' fanbase seen fit to use them for its own players. 
With those soft hands and versatile cuts, Lattimore makes South Carolina an immediate contender. Heading into one of the most wide-open races for the conference and divisional title in recent memory, the talent is spreading evenly across the SEC.
Though an in-camp battle with fellow five-star RB and Auburn commit Michael Dyer would have thrilled Auburn fans, concentrating talent at one school would harm the competitive spirit the SEC holds dear.
Sustaining that parity is what guarantees the SEC remains the most elite and competitive conference, top-to-bottom, in college football. Though Auburn fans might feel stung, in the end, Lattimore's enrollment at South Carolina serves the SEC's greater good.
We enter 2010 not knowing for certain if there are any conference front-runners, with major changes going on at Florida and Alabama on offense and defense. In a power vacuum such as that one, Lattimore's immediate impact, should he become the lead back, will be felt all across the conference.
As far as rankings go, South Carolina is now another on-the-bubble top-15 team looking for a signing day break. The Gamecocks await the last big announcement, that of LB Justin Parker, whose recruitment is a battle they will probably lose to Clemson.
But no matter; the Gamecocks' recruiting season is all but complete, and it ended on the highest of high notes. The Ol' Ball Coach threw everything he had at his state's best player—and landed him.
South Carolina will pick up the 2010 football season with one of the nation's most dynamic and complete rushers on its roster, as a dark-horse contender to battle for the SEC East title, and now, with players who can back up that hype.
Time will tell whether that dynamism is all that Spurrier's been missing.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

I've got to hand it to the SEC—their recruiting melodramas sure are fun to watch.
Before he selected South Carolina in a ceremony at his high school, no one knew for certain whether five-star running back Marcus Lattimore would be an Auburn Tiger or a Gamecock at the end of the day.
That's because, in spite of Twitter, Scout, Rivals, and every wannabe Adam Schefter with a friend of a friend, Lattimore played his recruitment extremely close to the vest all offseason. He even went so far as to suggest that Auburn was leading before his camp went dark a week ago.
When he re-emerged earlier today, it was to tout the merits of both schools and say that his decision was a difficult one. Insiders still predicted South Carolina, but none could say for sure.
After all, as Lattimore himself put it, Auburn had the system (a valid insight into exactly how the Tigers have been able to land all these skill position players). Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, sideline-to-sideline offense is turning heads like Urban Meyer's offense used to.
But in the end, South Carolina had the need. This season, SC's rushing duties were split between three players, none of whom amassed more than 650 yards or 120 carries. Though all three players return, none enrolled at SC with anything close to the hype Lattimore brings, nor the dynamism which he promises.
In fact, in Spurrier's five (soon to be six) years as head coach, the Gamecocks have yet to feature a stellar running back. You'd have to go all the way back to the Ol' Ball Coach's days repping Fred Taylor and the Florida Gators to find a Spurrier running back of note.
Though Spurrier's struggles at developing quarterbacks have been noteworthy, it's in the running game that the OBC really hasn't broken through.
With Lattimore in the bag, South Carolina joins the SEC elite, boasting a five-star RB from Byrnes, S.C., who will enroll as possibly the most highly-touted, well-prepared, and well-rounded player in Spurrier's entire tenure.
Recruitniks praise his completeness, his durability, his speed. He has soft hands, can catch balls out of the backfield, and can pass protect, in addition to his talents in the open (and the tightly-packed) field. Some predict he will be the most accomplished back from this class come draft time.
Those descriptors are the same buzzwords used for the greatest feature backs in the history of the SEC. But not since George Rogers has the Gamecocks' fanbase seen fit to use them for its own players. 
With those soft hands and versatile cuts, Lattimore makes South Carolina an immediate contender. Heading into one of the most wide-open races for the conference and divisional title in recent memory, the talent is spreading evenly across the SEC.
Though an in-camp battle with fellow five-star RB and Auburn commit Michael Dyer would have thrilled Auburn fans, concentrating talent at one school would harm the competitive spirit the SEC holds dear.
Sustaining that parity is what guarantees the SEC remains the most elite and competitive conference, top-to-bottom, in college football. Though Auburn fans might feel stung, in the end, Lattimore's enrollment at South Carolina serves the SEC's greater good.
We enter 2010 not knowing for certain if there are any conference front-runners, with major changes going on at Florida and Alabama on offense and defense. In a power vacuum such as that one, Lattimore's immediate impact, should he become the lead back, will be felt all across the conference.
As far as rankings go, South Carolina is now another on-the-bubble top-15 team looking for a signing day break. The Gamecocks await the last big announcement, that of LB Justin Parker, whose recruitment is a battle they will probably lose to Clemson.
But no matter; the Gamecocks' recruiting season is all but complete, and it ended on the highest of high notes. The Ol' Ball Coach threw everything he had at his state's best player—and landed him.
South Carolina will pick up the 2010 football season with one of the nation's most dynamic and complete rushers on its roster, as a dark-horse contender to battle for the SEC East title, and now, with players who can back up that hype.
Time will tell whether that dynamism is all that Spurrier's been missing.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

I've got to hand it to the SEC—their recruiting melodramas sure are fun to watch.
Before he selected South Carolina in a ceremony at his high school, no one knew for certain whether five-star running back Marcus Lattimore would be an Auburn Tiger or a Gamecock at the end of the day.
That's because, in spite of Twitter, Scout, Rivals, and every wannabe Adam Schefter with a friend of a friend, Lattimore played his recruitment extremely close to the vest all offseason. He even went so far as to suggest that Auburn was leading before his camp went dark a week ago.
When he re-emerged earlier today, it was to tout the merits of both schools and say that his decision was a difficult one. Insiders still predicted South Carolina, but none could say for sure.
After all, as Lattimore himself put it, Auburn had the system (a valid insight into exactly how the Tigers have been able to land all these skill position players). Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, sideline-to-sideline offense is turning heads like Urban Meyer's offense used to.
But in the end, South Carolina had the need. This season, SC's rushing duties were split between three players, none of whom amassed more than 650 yards or 120 carries. Though all three players return, none enrolled at SC with anything close to the hype Lattimore brings, nor the dynamism which he promises.
In fact, in Spurrier's five (soon to be six) years as head coach, the Gamecocks have yet to feature a stellar running back. You'd have to go all the way back to the Ol' Ball Coach's days repping Fred Taylor and the Florida Gators to find a Spurrier running back of note.
Though Spurrier's struggles at developing quarterbacks have been noteworthy, it's in the running game that the OBC really hasn't broken through.
With Lattimore in the bag, South Carolina joins the SEC elite, boasting a five-star RB from Byrnes, S.C., who will enroll as possibly the most highly-touted, well-prepared, and well-rounded player in Spurrier's entire tenure.
Recruitniks praise his completeness, his durability, his speed. He has soft hands, can catch balls out of the backfield, and can pass protect, in addition to his talents in the open (and the tightly-packed) field. Some predict he will be the most accomplished back from this class come draft time.
Those descriptors are the same buzzwords used for the greatest feature backs in the history of the SEC. But not since George Rogers has the Gamecocks' fanbase seen fit to use them for its own players. 
With those soft hands and versatile cuts, Lattimore makes South Carolina an immediate contender. Heading into one of the most wide-open races for the conference and divisional title in recent memory, the talent is spreading evenly across the SEC.
Though an in-camp battle with fellow five-star RB and Auburn commit Michael Dyer would have thrilled Auburn fans, concentrating talent at one school would harm the competitive spirit the SEC holds dear.
Sustaining that parity is what guarantees the SEC remains the most elite and competitive conference, top-to-bottom, in college football. Though Auburn fans might feel stung, in the end, Lattimore's enrollment at South Carolina serves the SEC's greater good.
We enter 2010 not knowing for certain if there are any conference front-runners, with major changes going on at Florida and Alabama on offense and defense. In a power vacuum such as that one, Lattimore's immediate impact, should he become the lead back, will be felt all across the conference.
As far as rankings go, South Carolina is now another on-the-bubble top-15 team looking for a signing day break. The Gamecocks await the last big announcement, that of LB Justin Parker, whose recruitment is a battle they will probably lose to Clemson.
But no matter; the Gamecocks' recruiting season is all but complete, and it ended on the highest of high notes. The Ol' Ball Coach threw everything he had at his state's best player—and landed him.
South Carolina will pick up the 2010 football season with one of the nation's most dynamic and complete rushers on its roster, as a dark-horse contender to battle for the SEC East title, and now, with players who can back up that hype.
Time will tell whether that dynamism is all that Spurrier's been missing.Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

Every once in a while, there comes a story that grabs our attention and we can’t let it go until it’s been finalized.  The Marcus Lattimore story grabbed me.  The Byrnes athlete has burned up the record books in the Upstate of South Carolina. 
Marcus has narrowed his decision to two teams, Auburn and South Carolina.  Both schools finished the 2009 regular season 7-5. 
I’ve watched these kind of decisions over the years and they are not as confusing once you take away the hype.  I believe in this situation, the Auburn coaches are doing a better job of selling their program. 
When all the dust has settled, you have your family and your friends.   You want your family to be able to see you, encourage you, and be that rock when the times get tough.  There are always trial periods, and it helps when you have hometown friends to lean on.  
Any major decision has to include your family.
What’s the road trip?   If Lattimore chooses South Carolina, his mother and friends will have a one hour and 34 minute drive down to Columbia to get in the stands and cheer for their superstar. 
Even for a night game, Mama can drive home safely and sleep in her own bed.  If Marcus chooses Auburn, the drive is four hours and 45 minutes from Spartanburg through busy Atlanta to Auburn.  Not exactly a day trip; night games would be out of the question. 
 
Competition for Position —If Lattimore chooses Auburn, he will join five- star running back Michael Dyer, who is one of the highest recruited players in the country.  In nearly every case, it is better to be the preferred running back on a team than to share the duties with another superstar. 
At South Carolina, there is no front runner for the running backs.  Probably immediate playing time for Lattimore if he chooses.
 
Thinking Long Term — At Georgia, Herschel Walker is loved and has made a nice living after football.  He is seen as a Georgia kid and there is a lot of pride that he played for his in-state school and didn’t cross state lines and play at Clemson. 
Knowshon Moreno was equally talented but had no roots in Georgia. He made the decision to leave for the NFL like a business decision.  Moreno will never be regarded  as highly as Herschel at the University of Georgia. 
 
What can a football player do for his state?— Ask this question of the Miami Hurricanes.  When the better players in the south Florida decided to stay closer to home, they literally re-built the city of Miami. 
There is a huge economic impact that comes with a great football program.  Economic impact means jobs for the people of your community.
There are few exceptions to explain leaving the state to play football.  One would be a family member having  strong ties to an out-of-state school.  Another, the out-of-state school offering a better education. 
Third, could be that no solid offers came from an in-state school.  The last one involves just wanting to be part of a great program; sometimes it is located out of state.
So here’s the deal.  If this year’s War Eagle class commits, Auburn fans will be celebrating big on signing day with or without Lattimore. 
Lattimore will make Steve Spurrier’s year by committing to the Gamecocks.  If he goes West, Spurrier starts the decline.
For the superstar living in Birmingham that narrowed his choices between Auburn and South Carolina, same circumstances, my advice is go to Auburn.  End of story.
Until next time, I will see you on the ball field.
 
Jay Holgate is a sports writer and motivational speaker based in Atlanta, GA.  Jay can be heard on sports radio around the South.
 
 
 Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com