Three-star Maurice Smitherman is one of four defensive back commits in Mississippi State’s 2015 class, but questions of whether he’ll stick have risen after his recent announcement on taking two more official visits.

Smitherman, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound cornerback out of Adamsville, Ala., said Monday that he will see what Texas Tech has to offer on Jan. 16 and plans to visit South Carolina on Jan. 30. The Gamecocks are in need of extra defenders after several, including four-star Top 10 cornerback Mark Fields, have decommitted over the last six weeks.

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Smitherman makes up for his lack of size with great speed. The loss of Mississippi St. defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, Smitherman’s primary recruiter, could ultimately affect his final decision. Early playing time is a draw for Smitherman and he would have that opportunity at South Carolina where the Gamecocks are thin in the secondary.

He’s been in contact with coach Grady Brown and recently told 247Sports he intends to see what South Carolina has to offer directly the weekend before National Signing Day.

“Coach Grady talked to me and told me he had a spot for me,” Smitherman said. “He wanted me to come down on a visit and I thought that’d be cool. South Carolina is definitely an option.”