South Carolina football: Two Gamecocks tabbed as under the radar stars

Former South Carolina football stars in line for breakout seasons.

The 2021 NFL season will kick off in just a few months, with opening weekend set for early September. There are plenty of former South Carolina football players to keep an eye on in the upcoming campaign. First-round pick Jaycee Horn is looking to make an impact in Charlotte. Jadeveon Clowney gets a fresh start in Cleveland. Deebo Samuel hopes to bounce back from injury and continue the productive start to his young career.

While a few former Gamecocks have made headlines over the NFL’s offseason, there are others looking to break out and become integral pieces on their respective teams. CBS Sports recently released its list of under-the-radar players that they’re expecting to see big years from in 2021, and two South Carolina alum made the cut.

Bryan Edwards and Hayden Hurst were chosen by the site as potential breakout candidates ahead of the ’21 campaign.

Edwards, who’s entering his sophomore season in the NFL, should be at the top of the Raiders’ wide receiver rotation next year. A third-round pick in the ’20 draft, the pass catcher hauled in 11 receptions for a total of 193 yards. He averaged more than 17 yards per catch and notched his first career touchdown, but he’s hoping to see an uptick in production in year two.

While he earned a starting role early in 2020, Edwards he lost that top spot after week three. After seeing 45+ snaps in each of the Raiders’ first two games, the rookie saw his workload decrease over the course of the year, playing 25 snaps or less in the season’s final 14 weeks. But there’s reason believe things could change for the wideout soon.

CBS contributor Tyler Sullivan wrote this about Edwards’ outlook in 2021.

"Edwards’ rookie season had a dent put into it due to injuries, but the 2020 third-round pick struggled to impress even when he was able to get on the field last year… Heading into 2021, however, Edwards is looking to get back on track and appears to be well-conditioned as he rolls into his sophomore season… His frame translates well to him being an X-receiver who can go up and win 50-50 balls, possibly opening the door for increased red-zone targets."

Sullivan sees Edwards becoming a go-to guy when the Raiders’ offense gets near the goal line, and as Gamecock fans saw during his time in Columbia, the big-bodied receiver can win his fair share of jump balls. With a year of NFL action under his belt, and a healthy outlook for the upcoming season, it’s easy to see Edwards making a huge jump in year two for Las Vegas.

Another former Gamecock, Hayden Hurst, was named as one of the NFC’s potential breakout stars. The tight end will be entering his second campaign in Atlanta after tallying his best professional season to date. Hurst was targeted a career-high 88 times by Matt Ryan, turning those targets into 56 receptions, 571 yards, and six scores.

The third-year player saw career bests in nearly every category with the Falcons, and CBS Sports writer Patrik Walker believes it’s just the beginning for the former first-round pick.

Here’s what he had to say about Hurst’s outlook in 2021.

"How can a former first-round pick fly under the radar? Easy… the team traded away Julio Jones and welcomed in collegiate phenom Kyle Pitts — a player who has what many to believe to be generational talent. Hurst isn’t exactly a throwaway though, having become a key offensive piece in 2020, when he grabbed 571 receiving yards and six touchdowns… A very talented offensive weapon, if he gets the targets that will allow him to have a breakout season, he will do just that: break out."

Hurst was a big part of the Falcons’ offense in 2020, ranking third on the team in targets and receptions, and second in receiving touchdowns. Walker does note that he’ll be battling fellow tight end Kyle Pitts, whom the team selected in this past draft with a first-round pick, but he still believes that Hurst will carve out a role on offense, especially now that Julio Jones is leaving Atlanta.

Walker knows how productive Hurst can be, he just thinks he needs more opportunities to showcase his talent. The tight end has the size and athleticism to be a major weapon on the offense. So long as Falcons’ signal callers provide Hurst with enough targets, he should be able to turn in another career season.