Relationship with McClendon led Smith to Gamecocks

Brunswick (Ga.) three-star wide receiver Shawn Smith committed to South Carolina on the final day of last month and on Monday the 6-foot, 170-pounder went on record with GamecockCentral.com about his decision.

"It's the people there and Coach (Bryan McClendon)," Smith said of his reasons for picking Carolina. "Me and Coach B Mac were real close at UGA, because he was recruiting me heavy at UGA. I just feel real comfortable playing under him. He wants to coach me real bad. I just feel comfortable doing that with him."

ALSO SEE: Coach: Smith 'very special with the ball in his hands'

McClendon, South Carolina's co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach, has a long-standing relationship with Smith, who was at one time considered a Georgia lean.

"He says he wants receivers like me to shift around and I said, well I know I can do that," Smith said. "I think I'll fit in real good. They're running the spread, so they're going to get the receivers the ball and I just feel comfortable getting the ball in space, and I just make people miss and then show my speed out, that's what I'm good at."

Smith chose the Gamecocks over offers from offers from Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, UCF and West Virginia.

Smith and his family were on campus for the Gamecocks prospect cookout on Saturday.

"That was a nice trip -- the cookout was nice," Smith said. "We did this scavenger hunt where we had to pick teams and we were with the coaches and they were basically just showing us around campus and we had to find things and I liked that. The coaches like to have fun. That's the good thing about the campus, it's not too big and it's not too small. It's a college town and I like it."

Smith is ranked the No. 78 wide receiver in the country and the No. 42 prospect in Georgia by Rivals.com.

Smith also likes the plan that head coach Will Muschamp has for the program.

"He likes to win games," Smith said. "He's just a winning man and I know he's going to do big things for the defense. I just feel like we're going to be good. We're going to be good because coach Will Muschamp knows what he's doing."

South Carolina currently has eight prospects committed to its 2017 class.

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