South Carolina football: How will Gamecocks be affected by NFL Draft?

A handful of South Carolina football players have declared for the draft.

The Gamecocks have seen a total of four players declare for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, most recently, leading receiver Shi Smith. Smith joins linebacker Ernest Jones, and cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu as players looking to display their talents at the next level.

Those four players have been instrumental pieces of the team over the last three to four seasons, so how will their absences affect South Carolina football in the years to come?

Let’s start at the wide receiver position, where the Gamecocks lose the fourth leading pass catcher in program history.

SHI SMITH

Smith hauled in 57 receptions, 633 yards, and four touchdowns in 2020, ranking eight in the conference in receiving. Smith was the only reliable option in the South Carolina receiving corps, as starters Jalen Brooks, Xavier Legette, Josh Vann, and Dakereon Joyner combined for just 35 catches and 356 yards.

Of the top four pass catchers on the roster, Smith was the only wideout, with tight end Nick Muse and running backs Kevin Harris and Deshaun Fenwick ranking second, third, and fourth. In fact, Smith was responsible for 61% of the Gamecocks’ production at the position, and he caught half of the team’s eight touchdowns. He did this despite missing two games with a concussion.

It’s hard to picture what the receiving group will look like next season without Smith, as the position is filled with youth and inexperience. Freshmen Rico Powers and Ger-Cari Caldwell will hopefully build on the playing time from this season. Dakereon Joyner will be back in his second full season as a wideout. OrTre Smith and Randrecous Davis will hopefully return after opting out due to COVID in 2020. And maybe transfer Jalen Brooks will finally become the big play threat that everyone expected.

But with so much unknown, this will likely be the weakest link on the offense in 2021.