ESPN RISE

Emmett Lunceford saw no point in waiting to determine his soccer future.

So the 16-year-old attacking midfielder committed to the University of South Carolina on Saturday night, becoming the first major Class of 2011 boys' soccer prospect to make a pledge.

"They set up a good offer for me and told me that they see me playing a big role on the team and playing straightaway as a freshman," Lunceford said Monday afternoon while awaiting a flight to Massachusetts. His club team will compete for a national title this week.

Lunceford recently completed his sophomore year at Irmo High School (Columbia, S.C.), where he helped his high school team to a state runner-up finish.

Late last year, Lunceford turned in a standout performance at the Disney Showcase while playing for an Olympic development program team whose members were a year older. After the high school season in the spring, Lunceford's club team, CESA '92 Premier, knocked off the defending national champion to earn a berth at this week's U.S. Youth Soccer national championships in Lancaster, Mass. He also attended the Region III ODP camp in Alabama, where he was named to the Region III squad for the third straight year.

Lunceford and his family have strong ties to the University of South Carolina. His grandfather served as the football team's physician, and Lunceford has been attending Gamecocks soccer matches since he was 5 or 6 years old.

"This is a real good fit for me," Lunceford said. "It's right in my backyard, my parents will get to see me play, and I'll play right away."

Under NCAA rules, college coaches cannot discuss commitments until the player has signed a national letter of intent, which in Lunceford's case will not be until February 2011.

"I feel the next two years are going to go so slow, just waiting for the time to come to [play at South Carolina]," he said.

Sheldon Shealer covers youth soccer for ESPNRISE.com. He can be reached at Sheldon.Shealer@espn.com .