McEachern Kicker Picks Gamecocks

kicker Nick St. Germain accepted a scholarship offer from the University of South Carolina and committed Wednesday to play football for the Gamecocks next year.

The decision came during a visit to his Powder Springs home by South Carolina’s special teams coach, John Butler, the Charleston Post and Courier reported.

St. Germain, who played two years at McEachern after single seasons at and , chose Coach Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks over offers from smaller programs Middle Tennessee State, Georgia Southern and South Alabama, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.

Georgia Tech, Florida and Auburn had shown interest but had not offered scholarships, said the Bleacher Report, which added that the Gamecocks’ 21st commitment for the 2012 recruiting class fits a big need.

South Carolina’s placekicker this season, Jay Wooten, was a fifth-year senior, so St. Germain has a chance to play right away, recruiting expert Phil Kornbluth reported on the Sports Talk Radio Network.

Another Indian senior, defensive lineman Darius English, has committed to South Carolina, and two of St. Germain’s former McEachern teammates, tight end Rory Anderson and safety Marcquis Roberts, are freshman Gamecocks.

Having high school teammates at South Carolina adds a comfort level, St. Germain told the Marietta Daily Journal, and he enjoyed his visits to the Columbia campus, including attending the Gamecocks’ 17-12 win over Florida on Nov. 12 and 34-13 win over Clemson on Nov. 26.

St. Germain is the fourth-best kicking prospect in the nation, according to 247 Sports, and one of three from Georgia in the top five, joining Alabama-bound Adam Griffith of Calhoun and Florida commitment Austin Hardin of Marist.

St. Germain was the Georgia Sports Writers Association’s first-team AAAAA All-State kicker in his junior year. As a senior, he hit 11 of 17 field goals, including four longer than 40 yards, and got touchbacks on 59 of his 74 kickoffs for the , his website notes.

The Louisiana native’s longest field goal in high school was 54 yards against in 2010.