South Carolina Football: Gamecocks put 16 players on Senior Bowl watchlist
By Kevin Miller
The South Carolina football program has seen a lot of Gamecock football players have very successful trips to the Senior Bowl.
Last season, defensive back Darius Rush, defensive tackle Zacch Pickens, and offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn all had good showings at the Mobile, Alabama showcase. Rush was the Senior Bowl Defensive Back of the Week, and Pickens was the Senior Bowl Defensive Lineman of the Week.
In recent years, South Carolina football players like defensive end Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel performed very well at the Senior Bowl and used the showcase to propel themselves to better NFL Draft positions.
For the 2023 season, South Carolina football has put 16 different players on the Senior Bowl preseason watch list. Because of redshirts, injuries, and the “Covid redshirt,” not all of these players are in their 4th year of college, but each player on the list is in at least their 4th year. Some of these players still have additional eligibility and could return to school for the 2024 season.
Only Tennessee, Ole Miss, Michigan, and Oregon have more players on the watch list.
It is important to note that not every player invited to the Senior Bowl accepts the invitation. Players expected to be drafted early in the NFL Draft often skip the Senior Bowl because they are more likely to be selected early in the draft. Also, players who are not on the watch list can still end up with an invitation to the event.
The full list of Gamecocks on the Senior Bowl preseason watch list is below:
LB Debo Williams
WR Antwane “Juice” Wells
DE Jordan Strachan
DB David Spaulding
TE Josh Simon
QB Spencer Rattler
WR Eddie Lewis
WR Xavier Legette
TE Trey Knox
DE Tyreek Johnson
DL Tonka Hemingway
OL Nick Gargiulo
CB Marcellas Dial
WR Ahmarean Brown
RB Mario Anderson
DE Drew Tuazama