PIEDMONT - South Carolina landed its quarterback for the 2017 class as Jay Urich (Piedmont/Wren) committed over Duke on Friday afternoon during a ceremony at his school. Urich, a three-star prospect with a 0.8266 rating in the 247Sports Composite, narrowed his focus to just the Gamecocks and Blue Devils this week.

“It was the relationship with Coach (Kurt) Roper and the rest of the coaching staff,” Urich said of why he committed to the Gamecocks. “I felt comfortable with my decision and have visited as many times as I’ve needed to. They allowed me to think through it to be sure I was making the right decision for me.”

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Urich has visited South Carolina several times over the last year. He began to build a relationship with offensive line coach Shawn Elliott during his sophomore year of high school and came down for multiple junior days and camps.

He threw for the former staff last summer during a quarterback camp and attended multiple games. An 82-rated prospect by 247Sports, Urich attended a junior day under new head coach Will Muschamp and formed a quick bond with quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper.

“I always knew that South Carolina was a good place, good city in Columbia and good people there,” Urich said. “There wasn’t one particular time that stands out that I was comfortable at South Carolina. Over time, it was consistent and that’s what I liked about it.”

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Urich also points out graduate assistant Brian Turk as someone who he has a close relationship with.

As far as why now was the right time to commit, Urich said it “just felt right.”

“What Coach Muschamp stands for and the hard work he shows,” Urich said, when asked what he likes about the new staff. “Getting down to work, start fresh and the work factor is just really cool. He’ll set a good foundation and we’ll grow on it.”

Urich, who runs the first leg of the 4x400 meter for his school that finished fifth in the state this year, is a dual threat quarterback who definitely brings some mobility to the position. He also has adequate size at 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds.

“I think I fit really well into the offense,” Urich said. “Being a dual threat quarterback really helps. I’m a thrower first, and I’ve been working on my mechanics a lot. I’m trying to get better every day, throw and learn as much as possible. Running wise, I have some dual threat ability to be able to do things with my legs.”

What’s left to work on before he enrolls?

“I have to work on my agility and my mechanics,” Urich said. “I really just need to keep getting better in every aspect. There’s always room for improvement. I think I can improve in a lot of areas.”

Urich is the ninth commitment of the 2017 recruiting class. He is the first quarterback with Jake Bentley, who is set to enroll this week, reclassifying to the 2016 class. With the commitment, the Gamecocks move up three spot to No. 29 nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings.