South Carolina Football: Five Players With the Most to Prove in 2020

JAYLIN DICKERSON

Dickerson is entering his fourth season on campus, but due to some unexpected injuries, he’s not yet been able to make his name known.

As a freshman in 2017, Dickerson was earning some high praise from head coach Will Muschamp, and found himself on the second-team defensive unit following spring and summer practices.

Unfortunately, prior to the season’s start, the North Carolina native suffered a nerve injury that derailed his upcoming campaign.  The injury called for shoulder surgery, and Dickerson’s promising freshman season was over before it started.

After missing the entire year and the following spring, he returned in 2018.  Still getting over that injury, Dickerson appeared in 10 games though mostly as a member of the special teams unit.  Late in the year, he’d have an opportunity to start making more of an impact.  In games against Ole Miss and Florida, Dickerson tallied 10 tackles from his safety spot.

Again, the injury bug hit though, as Dickerson was sidelined with a pulled hamstring just as his production was trending up.  He missed the final four games of the season.

Then, in 2019, he suffered a hip injury, and again, sat out the entire year.

Dickerson now comes into the 2020 season with another opportunity to prove himself.  The Gamecocks lost two starting safeties from last year’s team in Jamyest Williams and JT Ibe.  With the position growing a bit thinner, Dickerson will compete with Jammie Robinson and RJ Roderick for a starting gig.

If he can return to full health and get back to the production level that coach Will Muschamp was awed with in his first year on campus, Dickerson will have a chance to prove he deserves a spot in the South Carolina secondary.