There are some much anticipated college recruits on Bill Castle's 2016 Lakeland football team.
Unlike some of his teammates (A.J. Davis and James Robinson), cornerback Damarri Mathis can put the recruiting scene behind him.
The 5-11, 180-pound senior cornerback is a recent hard commit to play at South Carolina, choosing them over 17 other offers including Pitt and Ole Miss. The 3-Star talent pointed to the Gamecocks coaching staff as one of the biggest draws.
"It was just a good fit for me right now," said Mathis before an early 7 a.m. conditioning at Lakeland.
"They have a new coaching staff there, Will Muschamp. He's a really defensive minded coach. And also, Travaris Robinson. He's a really good coach. He's coached a lot of good kids like Vernon Hargreaves. He can coach a lot of good defensive guys. It was a good fit for me."
Robinson is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country. He's been coaching under Muschamp for five years. He was with him at Florida from 2011-14 and spent 2015 with him coaching the defensive backs at Auburn.
"I am proud of him and glad he's getting the opportunity to go to South Carolina," said coach Castle. "He's worked awful hard. He's had a really good offseason for us. Things are beginning to payoff for him."
Lakeland is one of BHSN'S top 20 Bay Area schools for 2016. The rankings will be released August 1st.