M
Matt OBrien
Guest
Each year, I add some thoughts/analysis on the Gamecock football commits. This year, I thought I'd change it up a bit and add in how I believe each commit will impact their respective position, in addition to sharing some analysis on them.
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QB Analysis w/ Hilinski
RB Analysis w/ Harris + Coach Brown
TE Analysis w/ Kenion + Toney
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The 2019 WR group discussion needs to start with Deebo Samuel and how the offense will evolve without his play-making abilities. Deebo was the best player on the team and could score from any position on the field, and will assuredly be a Day 1 or 2 selection in this year's NFL Draft.
Still, there is a lot of firepower returning at the WR position for the Gamecocks. Bryan Edwards is a likely future Day 1 or 2 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, and is quietly sitting at 6th all-time on South Carolina's receiving yards list. I actually believe Edwards will takeover my teammate, Alshon Jeffery's, career receiving record. Edwards is the prototypical WR1 or X-receiver, with a tall, long body, a big frame and good speed, and I expect him to have a monster senior season.
Hard to believe Shi Smith was the third guy in anybody's WR group, but with the departure of Deebo Samuel, I expect #13's impact to rise a bit in 2019. Smith is a natural fit to replace Deebo's all-purpose role and I expect him to rise to the occasion. Smith can win at any WR spot and is a top-end vertical threat out of the slot, where I still don't believe he can be covered on his slot-fade routes.
Sliding into Smith's tertiary role will be rising sophomore Josh Vann. My favorite Gamecock signee in the 2018 Class, Vann is a dynamite athlete whom will likely line up on the same side of Shi Smith, in order to create difficult combo assignments for the corner and safety across from them. Also competing for the third spot in the Spring are Chavis Dawkins and Dreak Davis. Dawkins is a natural back-up to Edwards spot at X, while Davis will go for the Y and Z role. Darius Rush is an interesting athlete who switched from safety to wide receiver in 2018 Spring Ball, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get another look at both sides again this Spring.
Two bigger-body receivers coming off of injuries are OrTre Smith and Chad Terrell. The Spring will be a time in which they take strides in their respective recoveries before coaches try to make incorporate them in early 2019 offensive strategy.
The Gamecocks brought in three WRs in the 2019 signing class: Keveon Mullins, Xavier Legette, and Tyquan Johnson. It will be tough to see any of these guys break into the primary rotation this year given all the returning players, but my best bet for early playing time would be Mullins. ** see full analysis on the 2019 WR signees below **
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Dropping the Drops
If there's one thing any WR group doesn't want to be known for, it's dropping the football. Every receiver that saw meaningful game action seemed to suffer from dropping the football in 2018 and I expect this to be a major point of emphasis both in Spring ball and in Winter Strength & Conditioning, to see improvements. The South Carolina offense left a lot of yardage on the field due to drops and it's something that simply cannot continue with an extremely tough 2019 schedule.
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Additional Analysis on 2019 signees:
I mentioned Keveon Mullins to be my best-bet for early playing time of the 2019 WR signees and it's really due to his physical maturity and athleticism. Mullins will likely play a big role on special teams in 2019, which is another way for him to get suited up over his 2019 WR peers.
Mullins a strong receiver who can go up and get the ball over defenders and break tackles after the catch. A couple of things that Mullins will have to work on are his route-running and creating separation from defenders in man coverage, but overall, he's a really good prospect with upside at the receiver position.
My personal opinion on where Mullins has higher upside is at Linebacker. I see a tremendous amount of potential there for a player of Mullins' size, athleticism, and physicality. When I watched Mullins film for the first time, and even now, he runs/moves an awful lot like former Alabama Safety and current LA Rams Linebacker Mark Barron. (see Barron's HS highlight here) Mullins also performed well at Linebacker at the Rivals 5-star Challenge, where he matched up with some of the nation's best offensive skill players and looked smooth in the positional drills. (see that highlight here) With the need for more athleticism at Linebacker and the existing depth at WR, I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches elect to give Mullins the choice to try both sides of the football.
Mullins is rated a 5.8 four-star ATH by Rivals and I agree with this rating. Mullins is a dynamite athlete and has the physical maturity to make an impact on special teams and play as a rotational player early in his career. As a WR, or LB if he goes that route, Mullins is a bit a raw, so I do think he needs 1-2 years in order to develop before being a consistent starter.
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Originally a commit in the 2018 class, Tyquan Johnson came back into the fold in the 2019 signing period. Johnson has great size for a WR prospect, at around 6'3" 195-pounds and is a smooth runner. The thing I like most about Johnson's game is his ability to create separation from the defender at the last moment by shielding their body and catching the ball away from his body. In this regard, Johnson is more advanced than most WR prospects.
Johnson is the only early enrollee of the 2019 WR signees, so I expect this is to be an advantage as he looks for early playing time. Another advantage is that Johnson is coming in from prep school, so he is more physically developed and experienced than most incoming freshmen.
Rated originally as a 5.6 three-star in the 2018 class, Johnson joins this 2019 class as a 5.4 two-star. I consider his current rating as 5.4 two-star: These players show potential – but will need multiple seasons to develop before they can contribute. I disagree slightly with this rating and feel like Johnson should be around 5.5 or 5.6 three-star, closer to his original 2018 rating; which is due to me believing Johnson has starter-level potential long-term, rather than just contributing.
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Rounding out the incoming WR group is Xavier Legette, who joined the class after the initial signing period. Legette played QB his senior year, so that he could have the ball in his hands at all times and drive the offense. I think that says a lot about the type of athleticism and leadership Legette has.
Watching Legette's QB film, his speed and agility are the first things to stand out. He seems to have a knack for beating defender's angles and has good moves to get around would-be tacklers. On Legette's WR film, he shows the ability to get up-field quickly and catch the ball at its highest point in contested situations. As a 6'3" 190-pound guy, running a 4.5 40-yard dash, Legette has the physical tools to be a good receiver in the SEC.
Legette is rated a 5.6 three-star and I agree with this rating, which I define as 5.6 three-star: These players show good long-term potential – but would benefit from a redshirt season to develop. I do think Legette whose career body of work could eventually look better than that of a former three star recruit, but time will tell.
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So, what do you think of the 2019 WR group?
How can the unit make up the lost production/impact of Deebo Samuel?
Which 2019 WR newcomer do you think has the best chance to crack into the rotation?
Any additional thoughts or questions are welcomed!
-------------
QB Analysis w/ Hilinski
RB Analysis w/ Harris + Coach Brown
TE Analysis w/ Kenion + Toney
-------------
The 2019 WR group discussion needs to start with Deebo Samuel and how the offense will evolve without his play-making abilities. Deebo was the best player on the team and could score from any position on the field, and will assuredly be a Day 1 or 2 selection in this year's NFL Draft.
Still, there is a lot of firepower returning at the WR position for the Gamecocks. Bryan Edwards is a likely future Day 1 or 2 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, and is quietly sitting at 6th all-time on South Carolina's receiving yards list. I actually believe Edwards will takeover my teammate, Alshon Jeffery's, career receiving record. Edwards is the prototypical WR1 or X-receiver, with a tall, long body, a big frame and good speed, and I expect him to have a monster senior season.
Hard to believe Shi Smith was the third guy in anybody's WR group, but with the departure of Deebo Samuel, I expect #13's impact to rise a bit in 2019. Smith is a natural fit to replace Deebo's all-purpose role and I expect him to rise to the occasion. Smith can win at any WR spot and is a top-end vertical threat out of the slot, where I still don't believe he can be covered on his slot-fade routes.
Sliding into Smith's tertiary role will be rising sophomore Josh Vann. My favorite Gamecock signee in the 2018 Class, Vann is a dynamite athlete whom will likely line up on the same side of Shi Smith, in order to create difficult combo assignments for the corner and safety across from them. Also competing for the third spot in the Spring are Chavis Dawkins and Dreak Davis. Dawkins is a natural back-up to Edwards spot at X, while Davis will go for the Y and Z role. Darius Rush is an interesting athlete who switched from safety to wide receiver in 2018 Spring Ball, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get another look at both sides again this Spring.
Two bigger-body receivers coming off of injuries are OrTre Smith and Chad Terrell. The Spring will be a time in which they take strides in their respective recoveries before coaches try to make incorporate them in early 2019 offensive strategy.
The Gamecocks brought in three WRs in the 2019 signing class: Keveon Mullins, Xavier Legette, and Tyquan Johnson. It will be tough to see any of these guys break into the primary rotation this year given all the returning players, but my best bet for early playing time would be Mullins. ** see full analysis on the 2019 WR signees below **
-------------
Dropping the Drops
If there's one thing any WR group doesn't want to be known for, it's dropping the football. Every receiver that saw meaningful game action seemed to suffer from dropping the football in 2018 and I expect this to be a major point of emphasis both in Spring ball and in Winter Strength & Conditioning, to see improvements. The South Carolina offense left a lot of yardage on the field due to drops and it's something that simply cannot continue with an extremely tough 2019 schedule.
-------------
Additional Analysis on 2019 signees:
I mentioned Keveon Mullins to be my best-bet for early playing time of the 2019 WR signees and it's really due to his physical maturity and athleticism. Mullins will likely play a big role on special teams in 2019, which is another way for him to get suited up over his 2019 WR peers.
Mullins a strong receiver who can go up and get the ball over defenders and break tackles after the catch. A couple of things that Mullins will have to work on are his route-running and creating separation from defenders in man coverage, but overall, he's a really good prospect with upside at the receiver position.
My personal opinion on where Mullins has higher upside is at Linebacker. I see a tremendous amount of potential there for a player of Mullins' size, athleticism, and physicality. When I watched Mullins film for the first time, and even now, he runs/moves an awful lot like former Alabama Safety and current LA Rams Linebacker Mark Barron. (see Barron's HS highlight here) Mullins also performed well at Linebacker at the Rivals 5-star Challenge, where he matched up with some of the nation's best offensive skill players and looked smooth in the positional drills. (see that highlight here) With the need for more athleticism at Linebacker and the existing depth at WR, I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches elect to give Mullins the choice to try both sides of the football.
Mullins is rated a 5.8 four-star ATH by Rivals and I agree with this rating. Mullins is a dynamite athlete and has the physical maturity to make an impact on special teams and play as a rotational player early in his career. As a WR, or LB if he goes that route, Mullins is a bit a raw, so I do think he needs 1-2 years in order to develop before being a consistent starter.
---
Originally a commit in the 2018 class, Tyquan Johnson came back into the fold in the 2019 signing period. Johnson has great size for a WR prospect, at around 6'3" 195-pounds and is a smooth runner. The thing I like most about Johnson's game is his ability to create separation from the defender at the last moment by shielding their body and catching the ball away from his body. In this regard, Johnson is more advanced than most WR prospects.
Johnson is the only early enrollee of the 2019 WR signees, so I expect this is to be an advantage as he looks for early playing time. Another advantage is that Johnson is coming in from prep school, so he is more physically developed and experienced than most incoming freshmen.
Rated originally as a 5.6 three-star in the 2018 class, Johnson joins this 2019 class as a 5.4 two-star. I consider his current rating as 5.4 two-star: These players show potential – but will need multiple seasons to develop before they can contribute. I disagree slightly with this rating and feel like Johnson should be around 5.5 or 5.6 three-star, closer to his original 2018 rating; which is due to me believing Johnson has starter-level potential long-term, rather than just contributing.
---
Rounding out the incoming WR group is Xavier Legette, who joined the class after the initial signing period. Legette played QB his senior year, so that he could have the ball in his hands at all times and drive the offense. I think that says a lot about the type of athleticism and leadership Legette has.
Watching Legette's QB film, his speed and agility are the first things to stand out. He seems to have a knack for beating defender's angles and has good moves to get around would-be tacklers. On Legette's WR film, he shows the ability to get up-field quickly and catch the ball at its highest point in contested situations. As a 6'3" 190-pound guy, running a 4.5 40-yard dash, Legette has the physical tools to be a good receiver in the SEC.
Legette is rated a 5.6 three-star and I agree with this rating, which I define as 5.6 three-star: These players show good long-term potential – but would benefit from a redshirt season to develop. I do think Legette whose career body of work could eventually look better than that of a former three star recruit, but time will tell.
-----------
So, what do you think of the 2019 WR group?
How can the unit make up the lost production/impact of Deebo Samuel?
Which 2019 WR newcomer do you think has the best chance to crack into the rotation?
Any additional thoughts or questions are welcomed!
