partanburg, SC (WLTX) - Marcus Lattimore, the consensus number one high school running back prospect in the nation, has comitted to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Lattimore made his announcement Tuesday night at his church in Spartanburg surrounded by friends and family. The church, which can hold several hundred people, appeared to be at capacity. He chose USC over Auburn, which had made a hard pitch for the star in recent months. Related link:Rivals.com Marcus Lattimore Page
Lattimore played a brief game with the crowd. He pulled a cap out of a black bag which contained an Auburn hat, and appeared to be putting it on his head. He then pulled a USC hat from underneath it.
"That's [USC] the best fit for me," Lattimore said. I'm a great fit for that offense, because I like to catch out of the backfield."
Lattimore said it was a relief to end this process.
"I feel like I just lost 50 pounds, I swear," he said.
Lattimore said he made his decision Saturday after a final in house visit with the USC coaching staff. He even claims USC Head Coach Steve Spurrier "did the cha-cha slide with his mom," which he says sold him on the program.
"There only one goal on my mind, and that's to beat Southern Miss in the first game," Lattimore said.
Southern Miss is USC's first opponent in 2010.
"They know my skills, they [USC] know what I can do," Lattimore said. "I was never guaranteed a starting spot."
Lattimore was ranked number one by Rivals.com and Scout.com, and was the number two running back according to ESPN. A standout at Byrnes High School, Lattimore was also considered the top player in South Carolina, winning the title of "Mr. Football." Previous Coverage: Marcus Lattimore is Mr. Football
The back, who's six feet tall and weighs 210 pounds, had offers from many of the top schools, including Alabama and Florida State, but said several weeks ago that his decision had come down to the Gamecocks and the Tigers.
The announcement is a recruiting coup for the Gamecocks, who were needing to make a big splash in this year's class. It's the first time USC has landed a running back ranked this high since 2003, when Demetris Summers was listed as one of the nation's top runners.
Wednesday is National Signing Day, when recruits all around the country will submit their letter of intent, which commits them to their school of choice.
