‘Down to the wire’: Oscar Delp details making final decision between Gamecocks, UGA
Mary Delp was about to board a plane to Boston last Friday when she told her son, Oscar, that she needed to know his final decision. She had balloons and a cake to buy for his commitment event just days away, and the four-star tight end was still debating between Georgia and South Carolina.
“That’s where he was just a few days ago,” Mary Delp told The State. “It was that close.”
Oscar Delp made up his mind that he would be heading to Athens instead of Columbia and USC, where his mother attended college. He announced his decision at a ceremony Wednesday evening in the cafeteria at West Forsyth High School, putting on a UGA hat while the South Carolina, Clemson and Michigan hats stayed on the table.
“It’s always been back and forth, but we kind of had to get this whole thing figured out,” Delp told The State. “I just prayed and thought about it a lot, and that team in my heart is Georgia.”
Delp said it was a tough choice for him to make, especially given how much he enjoyed his last visit to Columbia for South Carolina’s 23-14 win over Troy.
“When I was at that game against Troy, I felt like it was definitely a place I could be,” Delp said. “It was down to the wire.”
Delp, the No. 3 tight end nationally in the class of 2022, broke the news to South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer on Tuesday. He said he’d gotten to know Beamer well on a personal level and that the Gamecocks’ coach said he was happy Delp called him.
“He respected my decision, and he’s proud of me,” Delp said. “He just told me that I’m gonna be a great player, and I have a lot of potential. He’s excited for me, and if anything ever happens I’m one phone call away.”
Delp said his decision came down to how early Georgia began recruiting him as well as his relationship with Bulldogs tight ends coach Todd Hartley.
“They stuck with me from day one to the very end,” Delp said. “They were very consistent the whole time. I mean, they didn’t ease up at all. They told me they were gonna recruit one guy, and that was that was me. And they did that.
“I feel at home there. It was a gut feeling and a perfect fit.”
Georgia has 18 commitments for 2022 with a class ranking of No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite that factors in all networks.
South Carolina’s recruiting class is holding at No. 23 nationally with 17 commitments in the fold. The Gamecocks have no pledges yet for the tight end spot.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 8:51 PM with the headline "‘Down to the wire’: Oscar Delp details making final decision between Gamecocks, UGA."
