Welcome to The Crootletter (sign up to get this in your inbox!). I'm Bud Elliott, SB Nation's National Recruiting Analyst, and in this space I'll be sharing news, rumors and musings on the world of college football recruiting as well as the occasional gambling column.

The biggest recruiting winner of the weekend was the South Carolina Gamecocks program, as four-star cornerback Jamyest Williams committed to Will Muschamp and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson.

This is a big deal. South Carolina beat out most of the major schools in the Southeast to land Williams’ pledge. He is widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the country, and I’ve said before that if he wasn’t 5’9, 173, but rather 6’1, 180, he might be the No. 1 defender nationally. Williams has good speed to pair with great instincts and aggressiveness. He is not afraid to be physical and make a tackle or attempt to jam bigger receivers.

So how did South Carolina land Williams? Early playing time and the opportunity to play for Muschamp and Robinson. While Muschamp failed as a head coach at Florida, he and Robinson remain excellent defensive coaches, particularly of defensive backs.

But this is more than just getting an elite recruit. Williams is the highest rated recruit since Mike Davis in 2012 and the program’s highest-ranked defensive back since Stephon Gilmore in 2009. His reputation among other recruits might be even higher than his lofty rating. Other recruits are going to take note that a player they consider to be a true elite took a chance on the Gamecocks. While South Carolina is not expected to have a good season on the field, Williams’ infectious personality might turn him into the Gamecocks’ most valuable recruiter this cycle, especially in his home state of Georgia.

This situation reminds me of when former blue-chip defensive back Lamarcus Joyner committed to Florida State in December of 2009. Joyner was widely considered by his peers to be one of, if not the best player in South Florida. He picked FSU over all the major powers in the Southeast, Ohio State, etc., despite the fact that the Noles were transitioning to a new head coach and staff after replacing a legend in Bobby Bowden. Players saw Joyner commit (as well as five-star linebacker Jeff Luc) and it caused them to take a second look at a program that had lost 27 games in the previous five seasons. An elite defensive back with the great respect of his peers (check), commits to a slumping program replacing a legend (check) before the new staff even coaches a game there (check).

I think Williams can have a similar impact for South Carolina, relative to program prestige, of course. South Carolina isn’t going to become a recruiting power, but it could recruit a lot better than the final years under Steve Spurrier.

And do the Gamecocks ever need it, as I wrote in early August.

I'm not willing to rule out Muschamp having success in Columbia, if success is defined as making a bowl game more often than not.

But it's going to take a couple years of upgraded recruiting if the Gamecocks are to be SEC East contenders, because Tennessee, Florida and Georgia all seem to be moving in the right direction in the division. The trio has averaged bringing in nearly 50 percent four- and five-star players over the last four cycles. South Carolina sits at about 30 percent, and that's before removing players who failed to qualify

This all assumes that Williams is in it for the long haul and understands that the Gamecocks probably won’t make a bowl game in 2016 (Vegas over/under win total of just five). If he later drops South Carolina, his decommitment could have a large negative impact.

Quickly

Maryland got some great news Sunday as four-star offensive tackle Marcus Minor gave the good word to the Terrapins. This is big news for a number of reasons. First, Minor is very talented. He has the athleticism to play at a high level and the frame to add the needed weight. Second, Maryland beat out a number of powers like Virginia Tech, Florida and Michigan State. Third, Minor plays for local powerhouse Dematha Catholic. If Maryland is to have any chance of being respectable in the loaded Big Ten East, it is going to have to do well with the private schools that dominate the local landscape.

Florida added four-star defensive tackle Fred Hansard, beating out Tennessee and Rutgers for the New Jersey prospect.

Hansard made his first and only trip to Florida for Friday Night Lights and had indicated that he was impressed by the experience. He also had noted that the Gators were badly in need of defensive tackles. Florida defensive line coach Chris Rumph had visited Hansard twice this spring and the two have reportedly developed a good relationship.

The Gators also beat Miami for three-star defensive back Shawn Davis, who has some excellent ball skills and could end up as a four-star type.

Florida now has the No. 12 class in the country per the 247Sports Composite, with as many blue-chips as non. The Gators appear to be recruiting better than in the previous two seasons

Previously

Can Alabamawin the national title with a true freshman quarterback?

For the last decade-plus, the national champion has signed more four- and five-stars than two- and three-stars in its previous four classes. This year, 13 teams meet that the mark, and there are some surprise inclusions. It’s the annual Blue-Chip Ratio piece.

With the help of some Las Vegas and offshore oddsmakers, I attempted to answer a question: Which group ofhow many teams would we be comfortable taking to win the national title against the rest of college football?

Ultimately, the oddsmakers settled on a few groups of five teams that could present equal odds against the field.

Monday, I asked those same oddsmakers to give odds on the 13 Blue-Chip Ratio qualifiers winning the national title against the field.