Blue-chip QB recruit Brandon McIlwain talks multi-sport plans at South Carolina

Steve Spurrier and South Carolina received a commitment from one of the 2016 class’s top quarterbacks back in December, when Council Rock North (Penn.) dual-threat prospect Brandon McIlwain pledged to the Gamecocks. SB Nation talked to the prospect at the IMG NFA 7v7 Southeastern Championships Saturday, discussing his recruitment and plans to play multiple sports in Columbia.

McIlwain plays both football and baseball, and recently met with South Carolina coaches to discuss keeping that up in college. Baseball coach Chad Holbrook and the football staff both expressed approval of the plan, McIlwain said.

“[Holbrook] was saying that if I’m willing and if I will put in the effort that it’s going to take to play both football and baseball,” he said. “They’ll accept me with open arms.”

Scheduling can be a concern -- one varsity sport is enough to fill a college student’s time, but trying to simultaneously juggle two can be difficult on athletes and coaches alike. McIlwain has discussed this aspect with coaches from both programs, he said.

“That’s one of the main things they touched on,” he said. “In the past they’ve had multiple players do it. While football usually comes first, there is definitely time to play baseball, and you can get into the cages at any off time and it’s mostly in the spring too. So it becomes a thing where if the football coaches need you, you’ll go to football, but then most of the time the coaches will be like ‘it’s fine, you can go to the baseball stuff.’”

Plenty of athletes have taken the dual-sport path before, in college and at the professional level -- something McIlwain is well aware of.

“Deion [Sanders], Bo Jackson and even Russell Wilson showed me you can do it,” he said. “I know now [Wilson]‘s going to spring training for a team. But I just think it’s a very good thing, growing up I always played baseball and football and I think those sports complement each other.”