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South Carolina football: WR Mike Woods enters transfer portal

By Jacob Elsey

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 7: Mike Woods #8 of the Arkansas Razorbacks catches a pass and runs for a touchdown by Kenneth George Jr. #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 24-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 7: Mike Woods #8 of the Arkansas Razorbacks catches a pass and runs for a touchdown by Kenneth George Jr. #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 24-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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South Carolina football could look to add a transfer WR to the roster.

The new South Carolina football staff has done a nice job in the transfer portal since taking over this offseason, adding immediate contributors to bolster a roster that experienced a ton of turnover following the firing of Will Muschamp. Well, it looks like Shane Beamer and Co. might not be done quite yet.

This morning, Arkansas wide receiver Mike Woods, who’s viewed as the SEC’s top returning deep threat, announced his intentions to transfer from the program. What makes things interesting for the Gamecocks, here, is that Woods’ former position coach, Justin Stepp, is now on the South Carolina staff.

The pass catcher played for two seasons in Fayetteville under Stepp, recording 65 catches for 1,042 yards and nine scores. His 19.3 yard per catch average in 2020 ranked second in the league among wide receivers, trailing only Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle.

The Gamecocks are thin and largely unproven at the position after losing last year’s top option Shi Smith. Smith accounted for more than a third of the team’s production in the passing game, leaving the cupboard fairly bare in 2021.

To give an idea of Woods’ explosiveness and big play abilities, he matched Smith’s receiving totals (600+ yds), but did so in nearly half the amount of receptions. That’s while going up against an SEC slate that included matchups with Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia. In a game versus Florida, he hauled in two passes for 129 yards and two scores. He followed that performance up with a four-catch, 140-yard day against LSU.

The Gamecocks do have a few options, as Xavier Legette, Josh Vann, OrTre Smith, and Randrecous Davis have been with the program for some time, and the transfer additions of Ahmarean Brown, EJ Jenkins, and Jalen Brooks should help, but if Woods chooses to come to Columbia, he’d have to be considered an immediate starter.

We’ll continue to track Woods’ plans for the future, but it’s safe to say that the Gamecocks are in a good spot.

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