Trent Baalke has a tremendous amount of respect for South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

It’s one of the reasons the San Francisco 49ers picked up two Gamecocks in this year’s NFL draft and scooped wideout Bruce Ellington in the fourth round last season.

“You know they are going to be well-coached,” Baalke said in a recent interview with The State. “You know they are going to come into the league, especially on the offensive side of the ball, well-versed.”

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Since the 49ers selected safety Chris Culliver 80th overall in 2011, four other Gamecocks have made the Bay Area their home including Marcus Lattimore who agreed to a four-year deal in 2013 before retiring due to knee complications last November.

Baalke has been with the franchise since 2005 and was promoted to general manager in time to make the Culliver selection four years ago. While Spurrier coached the Redskins during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Baalke worked as a scout in the Washington organization.

From afar, he has always admired the Head Ball Coach’s efforts.

“I appreciate the kind words, but it may be coincidental that some of our top players went out there,” Spurrier said to The State in reference to Baalke. “I think he has maybe watched our players over the years a lot more than anything to do with Washington because I wasn’t too much in charge of (player personnel) in Washington.”

In need of an eventual replacement for Frank Gore who is entering his 11th season this fall, the 49ers kept an eye on Mike Davis during the NFL combine and the Gamecocks’ pro day. South Carolina’s leading rusher each of the past two seasons, Davis has good speed and impressed San Francisco with his ability as a target in the passing game out of the backfield.

Davis caught 66 passes for 720 yards and two touchdowns over his final two seasons as one of the SEC’s leaders in the screen game.

“(Spurrier) throws the ball all over the place, so if you’re a running back in that system, you gotta be able to catch the ball and you have to be able to pass protect. (Davis) has shown the ability to do that,” Baalke said to The State. “He’s a three-down back in the National Football League, and that was what we were looking for.”

Baalke also spoke highly of tight end Buster Anderson who the 49ers grabbed in the seventh round. Despite having a loaded roster at the position, San Francisco revealed that Anderson was the highest-rated player left on its board.

Anderson was nicked up over his final two seasons with the Gamecocks, but finished with nine career touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards receiving. He could be used as a versatile H-back in the 49ers’ run-based scheme.