Two seasons ago, the Gamecocks finished their football season 3-9. Former head coach Steve Spurrier resigned midway through the season, and the immediate future of the program was unclear. Although that season was disappointing, there were a handful of players that were bright spots on the team, and would be around for the coming years.
One of those players is linebacker Skai Moore.
Moore has been an important part of the Gamecock defense since his freshman year, earning numerous honors after obtaining a spot in the lineup and led the team with 56 tackles. That was only the beginning for him.
Moore continued to impress and lead the team in tackles over his sophomore and junior seasons, and even was tabbed a captain his junior year. He was there to try to help the team through their 3-9 season, and many feared that would be his final season as a Gamecock as he wanted to head to the NFL. But a neck injury in the off-season caused him to redshirt the 2016 season and brought him back for one final go.
Moore came back stronger than ever to help turn this South Carolina team around from 6-7 to now 9-4. Following this year's bowl game win, he leaves the team tied for the most interceptions in program history and led the team in tackles for the fourth year, something that only 14 NCAA Division I players have accomplished. But aside from all of the records and numbers, Moore has left his legacy.
“There’s not words I can really put into his contributions to our football program,” head coach Will Muschamp said of Moore following the Outback Bowl. “ ... A linebacker to have 14 interceptions ... that shows you his instincts. That shows you his ball hawk mentality. He’s an outstanding football player. We’re certainly going to miss him.”
For Moore, this program has meant a lot. Following the tough Clemson loss, he knew it was his last game at Williams-Brice and the emotions hit him.
“It definitely hit me out there,” Moore said. “Definitely wish I could have went out in a different way but definitely, definitely felt that it was the last one.”
And although it wasn’t at home, Moore was able to end his Gamecock career a different way: helping South Carolina come back to defeat Michigan. He also helped the defense hold a talented Michigan offense to their worst average yards per play of the season. For him, that meant the world.
Now Moore has the opportunity to finally live out his dream. He was selected and will play in the Reese's Senior Bowl on Jan. 27. This is the premier event for seniors to show their skills and possibly get drafted. Moore will have company there, as defensive back JaMarcus King also accepted his invitation to play.
With both Moore and King leaving, as well as Hayden Hurst who is forgoing his senior season to enter the draft, the Gamecocks will have a replace. But these players fought through the low points in their South Carolina careers to help leave the program much better than they found it.