Four-star receiver just reopened his recruitment, and he says Gamecocks have a shot
Two-sport standout Keon Coleman (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) of Opelousas, Louisiana committed to Kansas on July 4, but Tuesday night Coleman got his independence from the Jayhawks by announcing a decommitment. Coleman is an electric wide receiver and highly regarded shooting guard. His final three at the time of his commitment were USC, Oklahoma and Kansas, and he had a bevy of other offers.
Coleman is now open for all interested parties, and the Gamecocks have been back in touch.
“We’ve still been in contact,” Coleman said. “I’ve been talking to Coach (Joe) Cox and Coach (Mike) Bobo. They said they need an electric playmaker. They have a shot at getting me. Everybody has a chance. I wouldn’t say there’s really a group, I’m just giving everybody their same chance.”
Some of Coleman’s other offers are Florida State, Michigan State and Mississippi State. He said he wants to visit more schools before he makes another commitment, so he’s not planning to sign until February.
Yardage after catch is a big thing with Coleman. Last season he caught 35 passes for 1,143 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 33 yards per catch. And he’s had just one game this season but he caught 5 passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
“I can do it all, and they (USC) like to run screens,” Coleman said. “They want a receiver that can run and not get caught in space with the big play ability and over-the-top ability too.”
Coleman also is a big-time basketball prospect who averaged 26 points per game last season. He plans to play both sports in college and has talked with Gamecock basketball coach Frank Martin about that. But he said his decision will be based more on the football side of things compared to basketball.
Notes:
▪ Starke, Florida corner Dontae Balfour said South Carolina and Ole Miss remain his top two at this point and he is actively hearing from both. He said USC coach Will Muschamp text him earlier this week. He’s also hearing from Western Kentucky, Tulane, Georgia State and Coastal Carolina. Balfour said he will wait until the early signing day in December to announce his decision. This season Balfour said he has two interceptions and about 40 tackles.
▪ Gamecocks linebacker target Chase Hattley of Cary, North Carolina announced a commitment to NC State Tuesday afternoon. Oklahoma was the other school on his short list.
▪ USC offered 2021 defensive end Ian Mathews (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) of Columbus, Georgia. He also picked up offers from Arkansas and Florida State.
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Four-star receiver just reopened his recruitment, and he says Gamecocks have a shot."