There is little question that one of the hardest hit positions for the Gamecocks due to departures to the draft and the transfer portal was the wide receiver group.

Leading wide receiver from last year, Xavier Legette declared for the 2024 NFL draft while Antwane Wells Jr. transferred to Ole Mills. Behind those two, the WR with the most experience, O’Mega Blake also hit the portal.

This leaves the highly talented Nyckoles Harbor as South Carolina’s most productive returning receiver. He is joined by transfers Jayden McGowan (Vanderbilt), Jared Brown ( Coastal Carolina), Ahmari Huggins- Bruce (Louisville), and Gage Larvadain (Miami, OH).

With familiar faces stepping into larger roles and new faces joining the group, who will emerge as South Carolina’s best wide receiver in 2024?

I think the term “best” is a little vague. I think this could be defined in terms of production or by being the most dependable. In terms of production, I expect Nyckoles Harbor to be the leading receiver for the Gamecocks. 

At 6’5” 242lbs, Harbor runs a 10.2 100m dash. He is a freak athlete who has big down-field potential. We witnessed this last season as he averaged 16.25 yards/catch 12 receptions for 195 yards and 1 touchdown. Most if not all of his damage was done down the field as his top-end spend is unmatched for a guy his size. 

The concern with Harbor has always been that he was a tight end and edge in high school. He is attempting to transition to the WR position, but at this point, he remains a great athlete vs a great receiver. This is why it’s a little concerning that he has missed so much time in the spring due to running track.

Nonetheless, you can’t teach that kind of speed and athleticism for a guy his size, which is why I think he will be utilized heavily in their vertical passing game assuming the offensive line holds up for those kinds of plays to develop.

What if the o-line doesn’t hold up and Seller is forced to get the ball out earlier than expected. Or what if it is a 3rd and intermediate down? Who is going to be the go-to receiver in the short and moderate down distances?

Guys who win in the short field are usually smaller built with lots of acceleration ability and are typically the most dependable as they can create separation at will. This describes all of the other newcomers: Brown, Huggins-Bruce and Larvadain. 

That said, I like how Huggins-Bruce  played in the ACC and SEC, respectively, but I am concerned by his lack of production. Against ACC opponents, Huggins-Bruce had 14 receptions for 260 yards.

Brown and Larvadain are both promising receivers, but between the two, I feel that Brown will have the bigger season.

Jared Brown had 3 games last season in which he went for over 100 yards and was only a sophomore. On the season, he had 58 receptions for 740 yards and 4 touchdowns. His average yardage per catch was 12.8 meaning that he did most of his damage in the short to intermediate field, but also had several games with receptions of 20+ yards showing big play potential.

The buzz around the program is that Brown is a guy who has made an early impression on coaches and teammates. There is obviously a sizable gap between Coastal Carolina and South Carolina, but he is showing signs of being a dependable receiver who can win in a variety of ways. 

I think ultimately, behind Harbor, it will be receiver-by-committee. This is not inherently a bad thing as it keeps the offense wide open in terms of targets and prevents forced throws to a team’s best receiver.That said, consistency at this position can do wonders for a developing young QB. So, for Seller’s sake, Brown stepping up would be huge. 

I think the best case scenario for South Carolina is that the o-line is at least a serviceable group allowing the revamped offensive backfield to assert a dominant rushing attack in each game. This would take immense pressure off a young QB and unproven WR group.

In all likelihood, however, we know that the o-line and running game have been leaving a lot to be desired for a few seasons which will require someone behind Harbor to step up. I expect that player to be Jared Brown.