‘You’ve got to be dedicated.’ Freshman Stone Blanton ready for double duty at USC

Growing up in Mississippi, Stone Blanton watched plenty of Bo Jackson highlight videos. Now, he hopes to follow the same path as Jackson in college.

Jackson was a football and baseball standout at Auburn before playing both sports professionally. Blanton would like to emulate Jackson by playing both at South Carolina.

“I grew up watching Bo Jackson and how he was able to balance both throughout his college career, and he was one of the best,” Blanton said Thursday at USC football media day. “It’s something I thought was always amazing, and I have the opportunity to do it. ...

“You’ve got to be dedicated and want to do it. I really do.”

Several others have tried to play both sports for the Gamecocks. Brandon McIlwain was the last USC player to try and do both but didn’t see the field much in baseball — he ultimately transferred to California. McIlwain is currently playing in the New York Mets farm system. Before him, such players as Kwinton Smith, Shon Carson and Ahmad Christian did their best to play both sports.

Blanton, an outfielder, said he talks regularly with USC pitching coach Chad Caillet and has gone once a week to take batting practice at USC hitting facility since he arrived on campus in May. It will be tough to get baseball reps during August with the start of football practice, he said, but he plans to work it into his schedule once the season starts.

Blanton was a two-sport star at Madison-Ridgeland Academy in Madison, Mississippi and helped the Patriots to state championship appearances in both sports as a senior. He hit .250 with nine homers, 35 RBIs, eight doubles and 13 stolen bases.

Blanton hit a pair of homers in game two of the state championship series. Perfect Game ranked Blanton as the No. 19 prospect in the state, and he was in the Top 500 nationally.

On the football field, Blanton was a Top 300 prospect by ESPN and a finalist for the high school Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in the country. He played in the Under Armour All-American game and led his high school team with 125 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.

Blanton picked the Gamecocks over Ole Miss and Mississippi State, a rare move for someone from Mississippi. Of the top 10 prospects in Mississippi according to the 247Sports Composite, seven of them committed to the Rebels or the Bulldogs.

But Blanton talked about the relationship he built with USC coaching staff and what the Gamecocks are trying to build under coach Shane Beamer.

“I love the coaching staff here and I love what coach Beamer and coach (Clayton) White were telling me. I feel like home being here,” Blanton said. “Getting to know them during the recruiting process, I really feel I could trust them and I love the program they are building. It has great upside.”