New South Carolina coach Will Muschamp has been charged with two tasks to accomplish in a short amount of time as it relates to the Gamecocks’ 2016 recruiting class:

1. Keep the top talent that was committed in the fold.

2. Acquire new talent and upgrade across the board when possible.

While there are three big official visit weekends remaining in the recruiting cycle that will ultimately determine, for the most part, which prospects are part of this 2016 South Carolina class, Muschamp and his staff have been on point as far as keeping commitments and landing pledges from several intriguing prospects.

Current rank: No. 10 SEC, No. 29 Nationally (247Sports Composite rankings).

Top commit: Brandon McIlwain, QB, Newtown (Pa.) Council Rock North. McIlwain, a South Carolina legacy and an Elite 11 standout, committed to the previous coaching staff. He’s also a standout baseball player and considered not enrolling for the spring semester and testing the Major League Draft waters. Muschamp and new South Carolina offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, who had a previously-existing relationship with McIlwain, persuaded him to stick with his original plans and he is now in Columbia and will participate in spring practice. Given the importance of this position and the talent and upside McIlwain has, this was a huge recruiting win for Muschamp and company right out of the gate.

Sleeper: Keir Thomas, DE, Miami (Fla.) Central. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Thomas played out of position (at nose tackle) this season for south Florida powerhouse Miami Central. Gamecocks defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson and Muschamp did an early in-home visit with Thomas and his family and turned the tide toward South Carolina for the former Florida State commit (Arkansas was No. 2 in the end). Thomas is a blue collar, overachieving, tough defensive lineman who could play end or tackle long-term in Columbia.
 
Quick take: The fact that when all is said and done this recruiting class could rank inside the top 25 is nothing but a testament to Muschamp and the staff he’s assembled, which features two former National Recruiters of the Year in assistant head coach Lance Thompson and co-offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon, plus multiple assistants with Palmetto State and SEC ties. Given the limited timeframe this staff has had, there is a belief that future recruiting wins will be in more abundance in a full recruiting cycle.