South Carolina Football: 5 Gamecocks who could blow up in 2023
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football players who could blow up in 2023:
Tight End/Wide Receiver Joshua Simon
Josh Simon is a South Carolina native who transferred home after playing at Western Kentucky. Because of the transfer of fellow tight end Trey Knox, the addition of Simon to the offense did not receive the amount of fanfare that it deserved.
Josh Simon is really, really good at football.
The pass-catching tight end is so good, in fact, that forced the South Carolina football staff to include more two-tight end sets in the offense. The 12-personnel looks will be a common sight this fall, and Simon’s versatility to play like a wide receiver will make it a versatile look, as well.
Can USC line up with two tight ends with their hands in the dirt? Yep.
Can the Gamecocks go five wide but have two big tight ends like Knox and Simon line up as wide receivers to take advantage of mismatches with smaller players? Absolutely.
Can Simon line up in the backfield in an h-back role to help with blocking? Maybe not quite like Nate Adkins last year, but it can happen.
Can he run well enough to fill in seamlessly for the other vertical threats in the Carolina offense like Nyck Harbor, Xavier Legette, and Ahmarean Brown? Yes, again.
Perhaps the tight end’s best trait as a receiver, however, is his ability to go get the football. Several clips emerged from practices in which Simon beat good coverage simply by going over the coverage and snatching the ball out of the sky.
South Carolina football fans should not be surprised to hear another fan at Williams-Brice Stadium exclaim after a big play, “Who the heck is #6?!” Josh Simon, that’s who.