South Carolina Football: Gamecocks put six on Phil Steele All-SEC teams

South Carolina football fans are immersed in news from the transfer portal and recruiting worlds right now, but some other news of interest dropped on Monday.

Legendary college football writer Phil Steele released his All-SEC and All-American teams on Monday, and the Gamecocks put six players on the teams.

The Gamecocks' two most-improved players made Phil Steele's All-American teams. Wide receiver Xavier Legette earned a 3rd-team honor, and linebacker Debo Williams was an Honorable Mention All-American. Neither player was projected for anywhere near this type of production this season, so their inclusions on the All-American teams are a testament to their hard work and on-field excellence.

On the All-SEC teams, South Carolina football put six players on Phil Steele's lists.

Two Gamecocks made the 1st team, and it is no surprise that it was the two All-Americans. Legette and Williams received the honor at wide receiver and linebacker, respectively. Long snapper Hunter Rogers made the 2nd team, tight end Trey Knox was put on the 3rd team, and both cornerback Marcellas Dial and defensive lineman TJ Sanders were recognized on the 4th team.

Legette, Knox, and Dial are all moving on to the NFL (Legette and Knox were out of eligibility anyway). Legette is believed to be a virtual lock to be taken inside the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, while Knox and Dial are hoping to be late-round picks. If not selected, both Knox and Dial make sense as undrafted free agents.

Williams, Rogers, and Sanders are all returning to the Gamecocks in 2024 and are expected to be major contributors once again next fall.

Four of the six honorees were South Carolina natives (Legette, Rogers, Dial, and Sanders, and three of them were transfers into the program (Knox in 2023, Williams in 2021, and Dial in 2021).