Every offseason, South Carolina football fans have one eye on April's NFL Draft. Over 70 Gamecocks have been drafted in the past 20 drafts, and this year will see multiple USC stars selected.
The 2024 NFL Draft will be the first in which South Carolina Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer will have one of "his guys" taken as the 8 players selected in the 2022 and 2023 drafts were all recruited by Will Muschamp. At least one transfer portal player recruited by Beamer (maybe more than one) will be taken from the University of South Carolina this April. The high school prospects recruited by Beamer likely will have to wait another year as TJ Sanders (class of 2021) elected to return to school.
The list of draft-eligible Gamecocks is long, and several players were invited to pre-draft collegiate all-star games like the Senior Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl, and the Hula Bowl.
Spencer Rattler (Senior Bowl), Xavier Legette (Senior Bowl), Marcellas Dial (East-West Shrine Bowl), Nick Gargiulo (Hula Bowl), Ahmarean Brown (Hula Bowl), and Trey Knox (Hula Bowl) all participated in these all-star showcases and have realistic chances of being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Other players like Dakereon Joyner, Jordan Strachan, Tyreek Johnson, Eddie Lewis, and Dante "Lil' Turbo" Miller all are out of eligibility but hope to catch on with an NFL franchise. Johnson played in the smaller Tropical Bowl.
For Rattler, Legette, Dial, Gargiulo, Brown, and Knox, the next couple of months will be spent getting ready for the 2024 NFL Draft. Rattler and Legette are locks to be picked, but the other four Gamecocks (Dial, Gargiulo, Brown, and Knox) could wind up going undrafted. However, they all will be training to earn their way into the draft or into a higher selection in hopes of becoming the next great NFL Gamecocks.
The most public training has already taken place for these players as the Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl, and Hula Bowl have already taken place. How did these players' performances in front of scouts impact their draft stock?
Xavier Legette
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6'1" Weight: 223 Pounds
40 Time: Low 4.3s
Draft Projection High: Late 1st Round
Draft Projection Low: Late 3rd Round
Xavier Legette likely will be the first Gamecock taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he could be the South Carolina football program's highest selection since Jaycee Horn went 8th overall to the Carolina Panthers back in 2021.
Legette was a virtual draft afterthought heading into the 2023 season as inconsistent production, struggles with his hands, and battles with injuries hampered him in a big way. However, he had the biggest "Covid redshirt" draft boon of any player as his explosive '23 season saw him earn his way onto several All-American teams.
The Mullins, South Carolina native put up the second-most receiving yards in a season in South Carolina Gamecocks history as he snagged 71 balls for 1255 yards and 7 touchdowns. His size (listed anywhere from 6'1" to 6'3" but weighing around 225 pounds) and speed (runs a sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash and was clocked at the fastest ball-carrier in football near the halway point of the season) combination is elite, and his production this year showed that those traits can translate to the field.
At the Senior Bowl, Legette had an up-and-down first day of practice but really turned it up on day 2. Legette wowed the scouts in attendance with his ability to make contested catched and his athletic measurables, and ClutchGeneSports' Marco Martinez named him one of his offensive "winners" from the Senior Bowl. He did struggle a bit dealing with press coverage, something that a player of his size easily can improve.
Legette has a lot of variance in his draft projections as he has been mocked anywhere from the late 1st round to the late 3rd round. His Senior Bowl showing has some organizations higher on him than they were going in but has other organizations viewing him as a "stock down" player. If given the right opportunity, though, he has the ability to become an elite player at the next level, much like his NFL comp, Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown.
Speaking of AJ Brown, the Tennessee Titans selected him in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the team could be in the market for a receiver again in the 2nd round this year. Taking Xavier Legette with the 38th pick could be helpful to the Titans and young quarterback Will Levis.
Playing beside DeAndre Hopkins would provide a lot of learning opportunities for Legette, and the team has plenty of cap space this offseason to build up the rest of the roster in Year 1 of the Brian Callahan era of Tennessee football.
Spencer Rattler
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6'0" Weight: 219 Pounds
40 Time: 4.8
Draft Projection High: Late 1st Round
Draft Projection Low: Late 4th Round
Spencer Rattler has been on the NFL Draft radar for what feels like a decade. As one of the country's highest-profile prospects in high school, Rattler was well-known as a 16-year old quarterback in Arizona, and his five years in college at Oklahoma and South Carolina kept him in the public eye the entire time since.
Rattler has always been viewed as a player who could really throw the football, and, while he is not a dual-threat, he has enough athleticism to make some things happen with his legs as a play-extender or even as a 1st down scrambler. His biggest drawbacks as a player were decision-making and maturity, two areas that he drastically improved after joining the South Carolina football program.
Like his top target this season Xavier Legette, draft opinions of Spencer Rattler are all over the place, but Rattler's stock objectively is on the way up. #7 (rocking the retired-at-South-Carolina #2 in Mobile) dominated at the Senior Bowl. He was selected as the quarterback MVP by his defensive teammates, and he was picked as the Senior Bowl game MVP, as well, as he went 4-4 with an impressive 29-yard touchdown pass.
Almost unanimously, Rattler was the player who helped his NFL Draft stock the most at the collegiate all-star showcase, and he has seen draft mocks place him as high as the back end of the 1st round in recent days.
With the variance in Rattler's projected value and the draft's high number of NFL-caliber quarterbacks, he likely won't be the first Gamecock taken this year, but he should be the second. His stock is rising, and with expected solid showings at the NFL Scouting Combine and South Carolina football Pro Day, that stock could keep rising all the way to April.
It would make a lot of sense if the New York Jets found a way to draft the Gamecock gunslinger. They will be getting rid of 1st round bust Zach Wilson, and they still have a year or two left from their veteran starter Aaron Rodgers. Allowing Rattler a season or two to sit behind Rodgers (much like Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre) could be the best thing for the talented quarterback. They are very similar style players (not overly big quarterbacks with some mobility who have rocket arms), and Rodgers learned how to limit his interceptions, something that would be a great mentoring point from the veteran to Rattler.
If the Jets are to take Spencer Rattler, the team's third round pick would be the one. There is a chance another team would take Rattler before the 72nd pick, but the Jets also could trade up if needed. Even with horrible quarterback play in 2023 while Rodgers was injured, the Jets managed to win 7 games. The roster is good and could be a nice environment for a young quarterback to develop.
Marcellas Dial
Position: Cornerback
Height: 6'0" Weight: 185 Pounds
40 Time: High 4.4s
Draft Projection High: Early 5th Round
Draft Projection Low: Undrafted
Marcellas Dial was part of Shane Beamer's first recruiting class in Columbia as a transfer from Georgia Military. The South Carolina native tallied over 100 tackles and 3 interceptions during his three-year career in garnet and black, but it was his coverage skills that made him an impact player for the Gamecocks. He played a big role in the Gamecock defense all three years he was on campus, primarily operating as an outside corner, including as the team's top man coverage player in 2023.
Dial's career included some ups and downs, but he largely was a reliable player for Carolina. The 2023 season was a poor one for the entire defense, and because of that, Dial's usually solid play in coverage often went unnoticed.
Physically, Dial has a lot of intriguing traits that could lead a team to taking a chance on him in this year's draft. Dial is long (nearly a 6'6" wingspan), and he has enough speed and quickness to stay "sticky" in man coverage. He also had his best game against big-time competition as he logged 3 pass breakups and an interception on 11 targets (just 1 completion) against Clemson in 2022.
He was invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl and got reps at practice at corner, safety, and nickel. He did not have a big impact in the game, but getting in front of scouts and media helped his draft stock a little bit thanks to the extra exposure. Since finishing up at the Shrine Bowl, Dial has been included in some mock drafts, usually in the 6th or 7th round.
If selected in the draft, Dial might be taken by the baltimore Ravens, a team with a very established defense but one that still needs a young corner or two to join the unit.
Barring trades, ending up in Baltimore likely requires a 7th round selection of Dial. The Ravens' defensive picks often pan out, so becoming a Raven could be an ideal fit for the former Gamecock defensive back.
Nick Gargiulo
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6'5" Weight: 320 Pounds
40 Time: Low 5s
Draft Projection High: Early 5th Round
Draft Projection Low: Undrafted
One of just a few impact transfers for the Gamecocks in the 2023 class, Nick Gargiulo started every game for Shane Beamer's team last fall. He played the first 5.5 games at left guard before moving over to center after an injury to teammate Vershon Lee. He finished the rest of year as the starting center.
The former Yale Bulldog All-Ivy League player played all five offensive line positions in New Haven, Connecticut, and at 6'5" and about 320 pounds, he has enough size to put that versatility to work at the next level. He is an intelligent young man (see: Yale), a trait that is often overlooked when evaluating offensive linemen, especially potential centers.
The Hula Bowl invited Gargiulo to participate in its showcase and all-star game, and scouts from the NFL and smaller professional leagues were in attendance. Gargiulo likely has done enough to get an NFL look whether in the draft or as a free agent, but with the other leagues scouting, as well, he likely will have a nice fallback option. Also, the WWE was in town scouting, and the big fella (and his affinity for wearing black face paint and eating lots of hamburgers) could be a good fit there one day, as well.
With the NFL, though, Gargiulo is in a similar position to Jovaughn Gwyn last year. Both players were projected somewhere late in the draft or as an undrafted free agent as interior offensive linemen, and both players are known for their intelligence and toughness. His stock is probably a little lower than it was after a solid final season at Yale (due to a hand injury and some struggles in 2023), but he built some of it back at the Hula Bowl. A team could take a flyer on Gargiulo this April, and it would surprise no one if he sticks in the league.
If he gets taken in this year's draft, Gargiulo will end up somewhere in need of depth on the offensive line. His versatility up front would make him a nice fit for the Dallas Cowboys. Though the 'Boys have one of the NFL's best offensive lines, several of those players are old, and having backup offensive linemen who can play multiple positions is ideal in the modern game.
Dallas has the 230th pick in the draft, and a Gargiulo selection would make all the sense in the world for both the team and the player as he could serve as a backup to future Hall of Famers Tyron Smith and Zack Martin or younger starters like Tyler Smith, Terence Steele, and Tyler Biadasz.
Trey Knox
Position: Tight End
Height: 6'4" Weight: 240 Pounds
40 Time: 4.6s
Draft Projection High: Late 5th Round
Draft Projection Low: Undrafted
A transfer from Arkansas, Trey Knox was the starter at tight end for a Gamecock team that lost every scholarship player at the position from 2022. He was not quite the gamebreaker that the Gamecocks' thought they were getting, but he was a very productive player for Carolina in 2023.
A willing blocker, Knox has enough size to develop into a good run blocker at the next level, but his best skills at the college level have come as a pass-catcher, an unsurpring reality for a player who used to be a wide receiver. Knox has lost a step or two from his wide receiver days, but the All-SEC performer has a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage and for subtle leak outs against man.
Knox was invited to the Hula Bowl where he participated alongside fellow Gamecocks Nick Gargiulo and Ahmarean Brown. Word from Orlando (yes, the Hula Bowl is in Orlando now instead of Hawaii) was that Knox was an impressive player at practice, and his maturity shone through during interviews.
He seems like a player who has earned an NFL chance through the draft or free agency, but Knox will be a quick signing by the UFL or another smaller pro league if things don't work out with the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals need a tight or two in this year's draft, and they could take a 7th round ticket on Knox with the 251st pick. Beating linebackers is something he does well, a trait that could come in handy playing in an NFC North that has multiple 3-4 defenses (meaning extra linebackers).
Ahmarean Brown
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 5'9" Weight 175 Pounds
40 Time: 4.3s
Draft Projection High: Late 6th Round
Draft Projection Low: Undrafted
South Carolina football fans debated often last season which player was the fastest on the team. One of the names who was often brought up was wide receiver Ahmarean Brown.
During his South Carolina career, Brown logged just over 500 yards and only 1 touchdown. His speed looked great on paper, but he never put together the type of production that is required to generate much NFL Draft buzz.
Still, his physical ability can't be ignored. The diminutive wideout has been clocked in the 4.3s on numerous occasions and has claimed to be able to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.2s.
That type of speed would normally get drafted, but Brown has struggled with his health (primarily, a lot of hamstring issues) and his hands. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket also possesses elite tackle-evasion movement skills and can stop-and-go with the best of them. Even if he does not get taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, at least one team will give him a call about an undrafted free agent invitation.
Brown also has a chance to be a special teams difference-maker as a pro. He was a good punt returner for the Gamecocks at times, and he makes sense as a kickoff returner, as well. He also helped USC as a gunner on the punt coverage unit, further increasing his potential value to an NFL franchise as a late-round pick or free agent signing.
The New York Jets have three of the final five picks in the draft this April, so it wouldn't be shocking if they snagged Brown there, but it seems more likely that he will be an undrafted free agent. Even so, the Jets would be a good fit as they have a need for receiver and special teams depth, and he brings some chemistry to the table if New York takes Spencer Rattler earlier in the draft.