December 01, 2004
Spurrier may have an ace in the hole
Steve Spurrier will win big at South Carolina and it might be a lot sooner than any of the experts say. For starters, there is some great talent in Columbia, especially RB Demetris Summers and WR Troy Williamson.
The big question is can any of the QBs in the program fit in Spurrier's scheme? Maybe. But we're hearing Spurrier might be in the running for the top free agent in college football -- former PARADE All-American Ben Olson who signed with BYU three years ago, but left on a Mormon mission to Canada and has decided not to return to BYU (NCAA rules allowed him to become, basically, a free agent after his two-year mission).
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Olson had everything scouts look for in terms of size, athleticism, the arm and presence. Most figured he was headed to Arizona State or UCLA, but Miami, Oregon and Cal are all pushing to get him. So is South Carolina, and we're told the school and its new coach have intrigued Olson, who supposedly will make a decision by mid-December.
 | STATS: Ht: 6-5 Wt: 205 40: 4.65 Position: QB Projected: QB Position Rank: 3 Class: 2002 Senior High School: Thousand Oaks HS, CA. |