South Carolina Football: Gamecocks announce Pro Day participants

The 2024 NFL Combine just ended, and 5 Gamecocks participated as they worked to improve their positioning in the NFL Draft. However, the combine isn't the final chance South Carolina football players will have to showcase their abilities in front of NFL scouts.

On Tuesday, the University of South Carolina announced their Pro Day and which former Gamecocks would be participating. The list of Gamecocks includes Spencer Rattler, Xavier Legette, Trey Knox, Marcellas Dial, Nick Gargiulo, Ahmarean Brown, Dakereon Joyner, Jordan Strachan, Eddie Lewis, Tyreek Johnson, DeAngelo Gibbs, DJ Twitty, Dante Miller, Jabari Ellis, and Tyrese Ross.

Several of the players (Dante Miller, Jabari Ellis, and Tyrese Ross) were not on the team in 2023 but still are hoping for a pro opportunity. Representatives from the UFL (the new combined league of the USFL and XFL) may be in attendance, as well, giving non-NFL players an opportunity to work out for a pro contract.

Last year, Jalen Brooks probably was the biggest "winner" of the South Carolina Football Pro Day as he bettered his athletic testing numbers from the NFL Combine (especially his 40-yard dash). The improved numbers helped him get selected by the Dallas Cowboys at the back end of the NFL Draft.

The Pro Day will begin at 8:00 AM EST on March 12th in the Long Family Football Operations Facility. Players will be measured (height, weight, wingspan, arm length, and hand size), and they begin athletic testing (bench press, vertical leap). After about an hour, the Gamecocks will head over to the Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility for position drills, interviews, and additional athletic testing (40-yard dash, 3-cone drill, and short shuttle drill).

The NFL Draft will begin on April 25th and run through April 27th. Rattler and Legette are locks to be selected, Dial has worked his way into a likely late pick, Knox and Gargiulo could sneak into the very end of the draft, and Ahmarean Brown and Jordan Strachan are long shots who could pique the interest of a team or two with a strong Pro Day showing. The UFL could come calling for any of the former Gamecocks if the NFL doesn't work out for them.