South Carolina Football: 10 times that star ratings didn’t matter for the Gamecocks
By Kevin Miller
The most rankings-busting recruits in South Carolina Football history:
Wide Receiver/Kick Returner/Running Back Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel (2014-2018) was somehow rated as a 3-star player coming out of Chapman High School in the Upstate of South Carolina. Deebo battled injuries at times in college, but when healthy, he was one of the top players in the country. He impacted games in a variety of ways as a dynamic receiver, a home run threat as a kick returner, and a big-time ball carrier.
After Samuel committed to Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks, he received a late ratings bump from 247Sports that saw him become a 4-star on their platform, but every other outlet wallowed in their wrong-ness by keeping the speedster ranked as a 3-star.
If one were to create a top-10 list of wide receiver performances in South Carolina football history, Deebo would have at least two of them, a receptions record-tying performance against South Florida in 2016 and a 200+ yard game against Clemson in Memorial Stadium.
Samuel has been just as good so far in the NFL, becoming an All-Pro and one of the league’s highest-paid receivers. Injuries have been a problem at times just like they were in college, but when he has been healthy, Samuel’s combination of explosiveness and versatility make the San Fransisco 49ers one of the most dangerous offenses in football.