Tight end recruit likes what he’s hearing from USC, Shawn Elliott. Official visit set

First-year South Carolina tight ends coach Shawn Elliott has made a positive impression on tight end Preston Douglas of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Elliott has made a couple of visits to see Douglas, and now Douglas (6-4, 220) will reciprocate with an official visit in June. That will be his second visit to USC. He was also in Columbia on April 19.

“He got the job, he’s new, and he was just looking for some guys and my film stood out to him,” Douglas said. “He actually came down here to West Palm right before he offered me. Our relationship has grown a lot.

“I took a visit about a month ago and it went really well. It’s one of those places that I’m looking forward to coming back. Then, he and the offensive coordinator came and talked to me and my parents, and that went really well. We’re in some pretty serious talks right now. I’ll be coming up for an official visit (June) 7th through the 9th right now.”

Douglas was limited to six games last season due to a broken collarbone. Before going down with the injury, he had 450 receiving yards with four touchdowns. He considers himself a hybrid tight end, and Elliott sees him in that role as well.

“He just thinks I’m a pretty complete player,” Douglas said, “a great blocker, but I have really good skill in the pass game. I’m not like many other tight ends out there that are a bunch of tall walls. I’m more of a receiver-type guy but have a linebacker’s background, so can be a little nasty, too. He likes me as a person, and he likes my family. That all comes with it. He really thinks I’m a good fit for South Carolina.”

Douglas has also had conversations with Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer, and those talks have also left a favorable impression on him.

“I can totally see where he’s coming from with everything he says,” Douglas said. “You can tell they are eager to get better. They are on a rise right now. I think Coach Beamer is a really good coach and he knows what he does. Most importantly, the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator are great people with a lot of experience, head coaching experience and NFL experience. There’s a lot that could go good there.”

A decision from Douglas is not far off.

“The decision will come soon, in this next month,” Douglas said. “I’m really serious about South Carolina and think highly of them. Definitely one of the favorites, mainly between them and N.C. State.”

Douglas has an official visit planned for N.C. State the weekend after his stop at USC. In the spring, he also visited State, Wake Forest, Syracuse and USF. Maryland, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Syracuse and Indiana are also among his offers.