South Carolina Football: Dakereon Joyner gets NFL opportunity

South Carolina football had four players who were taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Xavier Legette (Carolina Panthers, Round 1, Pick 32), quarterback Spencer Rattler (New Orleans Saints, Round 5, Pick 150), defensive back Marcellas Dial (New England Patriots, Round 6, Pick 180), and Nick Gargiulo (Denver Broncos, Round 7, Pick 256) all were taken during the three-day event.

Once the draft ended, though, some former Gamecocks started receiving calls from NFL franchises about undrafted free agent opportunities.

The first confirmed signing came from a player who worked extremely hard to get to where he is today. Minutes after the draft ended, GamecockCentral's Mike Uva reported that quarterback/wide receiver/running back/special teamer Dakereon Joyner was invited to training camp with the Seattle Seahawks. Other teams could get involved with Joyner, but as of the time of Uva's report, Seattle was the team for Joyner.

Originally part of the class of 2018, Joyner was a 4-star quarterback prospect who battled multiple position changes and some nagging injuries throughout his career as a Gamecock.

As a quarterback, Joyner made a major impact as a wildcat runner in several games (including the big win over the #6-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in 2022) and played the role of hero two other times as a more traditional QB. Against the #3 Georgia Bulldogs in 2019, starting quarterback Ryan Hilinski went down with an injury, but Joyner stepped in and kept the Gamecocks in the game as they eventually won in overtime. After the 2021 season, Joyner started the Duke's Mayo Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels and brought home MVP honors as USC dominated their border rival.

As one of the best-known utility players in program history, Joyner had over 60 catches, nearly 1500 total yards, and 14 total touchdowns while serving as a team captain in multiple season.

At this point in time, it is unclear where Seattle (or any other NFL team) might want to play Joyner, but his versatility and his history as a special teams coverage player should give him a chance to stick on a roster if things go well for him.