South Carolina Football: Gamecock accepts invite to college all-star game

South Carolina football fans weren't satisfied with the way the 2023 season went. A 5-7 season and no bowl game is not good enough in Columbia, and Shane Beamer and his Gamecock coaching staff are working to make sure that never happens again.

However, just because it was not a good season for the garnet and black does not mean that there were not good things that stemmed from what happened on the field. Some individual Gamecocks had really nice seasons and are being recognized for their accomplishments.

Quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Xavier Legette were the two most prominent names among the Gamecocks' major contributors, and they will have another opportunity to play together at the Reese's Senior Bowl. Cornerback Marcellas Dial accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl after being the Gamecocks' best cover corner in 2023.

Both the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl will be played in the first week of February before the Super Bowl.

However, there is now another South Carolina football player who will have the opportunity to play in front of scouts and fans before making a run at the NFL.

Offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo (the only Gamecock lineman who started every game this season) will play in the Hula Bowl later on in January. The Hula Bowl was formerly played in Hawaii but has since moved to Orlando, Florida's FBC Mortgage Stadium to help alleviate the cost of attending the game.

Gargiulo spent the first four years of his college career at Yale, where he played all over the offensive line. Because there are no redshirt opportunities (and no graduate school opportunities) in the Ivy League, Gargiulo spent his fifth and final year of eligibility in the SEC with the Gamecocks.

#69 played both guard and center in 2023, something that will be appealing to NFL scouts who make it out to the Hula Bowl. He also has experience at tackle, where he was an All-Ivy League selection when he played at Yale.

The Hula Bowl will be played on Saturday, January 13th at 12:00 (noon). The game will be televised on CBS and the Paramount+ app.