South Carolina has one of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting classes heading into the middle of June and much of that momentum on the recruiting trail began with the commitment of California quarterback Ryan Hilinski.

Rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 166 overall prospect in the nation by 247Sports Composite Rankings at the moment, Hilinski continues to make strides this offseason and could finish ranked as the nation’s top quarterback prospect by the time he signs with the Gamecocks.

The Elite 11 finalists recently showed off his arm talent at the premier high school quarterback competition in the nation and left the camp with an exclusive invitation to Nike’s The Opening Finals camp in Arlington this summer. After viewing Hilinski’s performance, renowned West Coast college football recruiting expert Greg Biggins joined the latest 247Sports College Football Podcast to share his thoughts on South Carolina’s QB commit.

According to Biggins, not only does Hilinski look the part during the camp circuit, he continues to make strides for his high school program, Orange Lutheran, which competes in arguably the toughest high school football league in the nation.

“He’s made a huge jump… He was always good but I think he made a big jump going into his junior season,” Biggins said on the podcast. “(Hilinski’s high school team) plays in the toughest league in the nation, the Trinity League, which is Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, all these teams are usually ranked nationally and he performed beyond my expectations. Again, talking about the game slowing down for quarterbacks, confidence is huge — you can’t play without it. You can just tell he’s a confident quarterback. He’s made another big jump since the offseason.”

Biggins then went on to discuss how popular Hilinski was during his appearance at the Elite 11. That’s something South Carolina fans have likely noticed on social media, as the Gamecock commit has been very vocal in supporting the program on the recruiting trail and acting as a peer recruiter.

“He always had the physical tools, extremely accurate, extremely smart, confident, probably the most likable kid (at the Elite 11),” Biggins noted. “They asked each quarterback, ‘Who is the one guy you’d want to start a team with and you can’t pick yourself?’ Ryan was the overwhelming favorite. Part of it is his personality, he’s a likable kid.”

All this should sound great for South Carolina but it’s natural to wonder if Hilinski will remain committed to a program that’s across the entire country while his recruitment continues to blow up. Since he gave his commitment to the Gamecocks, LSU, Ohio State and nearby UCLA have all offered the rising senior prospect.

So, should South Carolina fans feel threatened by the distance that exists between Hilinski’s hometown and Columbia? According to Biggins, it’s actually the opposite, as the Hilinski family sees it as a positive following the tragic suicide of Hilinski’s older brother, Tyler.

“I think a big reason why he chose South Carolina, to be honest, I think the family thought it would be good to get away from home — kinda leave the West Coast,” Biggins continued. “Mentioned his older brother Tyler, who did commit suicide in the offseason, at Washington State, he was slated to be the starter there. I don’t think they liked the idea of him maybe going to these same stadiums that Tyler played in.

“South Carolina did a phenomenal job recruiting him. Coach Muschamp was extremely involved. When you have a head coach that’s that hands-on with your recruitment, it makes a big impact. He loves the offense, loves the depth chart and he kinda fell in love with SEC football. It pains me to say it as a West Coast guy but we just don’t have that passion for football out here, probably Oregon is the closest thing but you go out to see these stadiums and how passionate the fan bases are, I think that really wowed Ryan. I think it’s a great fit, I know he’s pumped. Offers are still pouring in but I think it would take a whole lot for him to flip. I think he’s really locked in with South Carolina right now.”

Based on that answer, there should be no cause for concern here for South Carolina fans. One of the nation’s top quarterback prospects is slated to join Will Muschamp’s program in the near future and continue the upward trajectory of the program heading into what could be a special 2018 season.