Cann pledges to USC

The Gamecocks landed the first blue-chip offensive line recruit of new line coach Eric Wolford's tenure at South Carolina on Wednesday morning when Bamberg Ehrhardt four-star prospect A.J. Cann, the nation's No. 4 rated center according to Scout.com, went public with his commitment to the home-state Gamecocks.

A.J. Cann announced his commitment to South Carolina over finalists North Carolina and Clemson shortly after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, as he donned a Gamecock shirt and hat while grinning from ear to ear.

The athletic 6-2, 260 pounder stated that his relationship with the South Carolina coaches, especially recruiter Shane Beamer and position coach Eric Wolford, played a key role in his decision to become a Gamecock.

"From the point that they've been on me since I got started with this recruiting stuff, they've been recruiting me hard, and the relationship that I've got with all the coaches up there (is great)," Cann said during his announcement. "They love me so much, and they've just been with me ever since I got started. I've just liked Carolina since then."

Cann expounded on his relationship with Wolford, emphasizing the comfort level he has with his future position coach and comparing him to his current coaches at Bamberg.

"His attitude, it resembles a lot of my coaches here at Bamberg like Coach (Kevin) Crosby and Coach Cory Crosby. He reminds me of them a lot, and that's something I'm used to being around. He really sets things right and really tells you how it is. I really like that about him."

South Carolina had long been the frontrunner for Cann's services, but opposing schools had tried to convince him to extend the recruiting process and hold off on a commitment. Cann, however, knew in his heart that USC was the right place for him.

"I didn't really want to wait it out. I knew it was going to be an early decision because from the point that (South Carolina) offered me, I knew I was going to go ahead and go to Carolina. I was just thinking, 'What's the point in waiting if I know that's where I am going?'"

The elite in-state prospect said he has already started recruiting other top USC targets like Marcus Lattimore and Eric Mack to join him in Columbia.

Cann also noted that he is looking forward to playing against former Bamberg standout Daquan Bowers when the Gamecocks play arch-rival Clemson.

Cann becomes the seventh commitment in USC's 2010 recruiting class. He chose the Gamecocks over scholarship offers from more than thirty other schools. In his junior season, Cann did not allow a single sack the entire year. He also posted 100 tackles and 15 sacks while playing defensive end.

Stay tuned to GamecockAnthem.com for extensive coverage of Cann's commitment, including video of the the premier lineman's announcement and multiple interviews.


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