South Carolina Football: 5-star freshman makes another preseason hype list
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina football fans can’t wait to see what 5-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor can do on the field. Harbor is a unicorn of a prospect. At 6’5″ and over 240 pounds, he is also an Olympic-caliber sprinter who has realistic dreams of competing in the Games during his college career.
The highest-rated Gamecock in the 2023 class will play football and run track in Columbia, and he put out a Bo Jackson-style trading card earlier this offseason to illustrate the dual-sport commonality that he shares with the legendary Jackson.
Earlier this offseason, Harbor was named one of Josh Pate’s “Freshmen to Watch,” and earlier just this week, he was put in the top spot of Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List.”
Now, unsurprisingly, the Washington DC native found his name on another list.
Veteran sportswriter Pat Forde releases several annual “Most Intriguing” lists, and, on Thursday, Harbor was included on Forde’s “Most Intriguing Non-Quarterbacks” list. (For the South Carolina football fans wondering, Spencer Rattler was not on the “Most Intriguing Quarterback” list but was named in his “Just Missed the List” section).
Forde only put one freshman on his list, and Harbor was that freshman. In his article, he calls the young Gamecock a “preposterous athlete that the public can’t wait to see in action.”
Like most, Forde isn’t sure exactly how Shane Beamer’s team will utilize the former 5-star, but he is expected to play wide receiver primarily in the early goings of his career. Whispered rumors around the program have hinted this offseason that the high school EDGE player could get some pass rush snaps in obvious passing situations, but there is no telling if that will come to fruition.
The Gamecocks are somewhat loaded with experienced players in the wide receiver room, and Harbor is new to the position, so his opportunities might be a little more limited than some may expect in 2023. However, Nyckoles Harbor will play this fall, and he will be must-watch television when he does.