Heading into spring practice South Carolina is looking to build off a 9-4 season in 2024. As the 2025 season approaches the Gamecocks will be looking for a top receiver to emerge.
At the beginning of spring practice, the Gamecocks were still without a true No. 1 receiver to complement redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Last season, the Gamecocks ranked 114th in the nation, passing just 40% of the time, and relied more on its run game and strong defense to win games this past season.
With no new additions from the transfer portal, the wideouts will be a young group in the 2025-26 season. Under new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, the Gamecocks will look to be a more dynamic offense with a rise in the passing game.
"We had to make sure we protected our program and in the end, it really was just stick with what we believe we have coming back and it's my job as a wide receiver coach to develop the guys coming back and we had enough trust in the guys coming in." Furrey said.
Returning players
The Gamecocks lost its leading receiver in sixth-year tight end Joshua Simon after he declared for the NFL Draft. Simon led the Gamecocks with 40 receptions and 519 yards for seven receiving touchdowns.
Despite this, wide receivers coach Mike Furrey is excited about the experience that junior Nyck Harbor, sophomore Mazeo Bennett Jr., redshirt senior Jared Brown, and redshirt sophomore Vandrevius Jacobs are bringing to the wide receiver room next season.
“The four guys that are coming back that have a lot of experience now, they're completely different players.” Furrey said.
Harbor, who is going into his junior year, is poised for the biggest jump in production. Harbor enters 2025 coming off a sophomore campaign where he was the second leading receiver for the Gamecocks, hauling in 26 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns.
Harbor came to college running both indoor and outdoor track and field alongside football. For 2025, Harbor declined to participate in the indoor and outdoor track and field season, focusing exclusively on football spring practice.
The decision comes just a year detached from Harbor earning Second Team All-American honors at the NCAA outdoor championship.
“It was hard but end of the day I'm making the best decision for my football career, and I felt like that was right.” Harbor said.
Coming in as a very raw talent, the former five-star recruit has expanded his game into becoming a sure-handed and much more confident receiver.
“At the end of the day, I'm the one catching the ball, and they’re the one behind me,” Harbor said.
As a sophomore, Bennett Jr. will also have an expanded role for the Gamecocks next season. During his season as a true freshman, Bennett hauled in 30 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Going into his second year as a starter, Bennett will bring a level of maturity that will complement his passionate style of play.
Bennett said focusing on the little things this offseason has paid dividends in helping him take his game to the next level.
"The guy in our group who has made the biggest strides physically ... is Mazeo Bennett," Furrey said. "And what he's doing now is what most people can't do, and it's impressive."
The sophomore receiver looks to vault himself into being the Gamecocks' No. 1 receiver pending an impressive spring.
Receivers Brown and Jacobs also made multiple starts last season for the Gamecocks. While neither were major factors last season, their roles will be critical to the team's success.
Brown was primarily used on screens in 2024 but will look to be more involved, as he is in the mix to be a week one starter.
Going into his redshirt senior season, Brown looks to become a more polished receiver and take the next step instead of just being a gadget-type player.
“Jared Brown has the ability, and the skill set to become a really good wide receiver and that was our focus this offseason and he's done a really good job working on it.” Furrey Said.
After transferring from Coastal Carolina, Brown caught 15 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown last season.
Jacobs, who started in four games for the Gamecocks last season, is looking for consistency in 2025 in order to improve his game as a redshirt sophomore.
The former Florida State Seminole is listed at 6 feet and 182 pounds to go along with great speed. Jacobs has tremendous upside and a chance to become an impact player for the Gamecocks next season.
Incoming freshmen
The Gamecocks 2025 recruiting class was littered with talented receivers. South Carolina signed four four-star receivers according to 247Sports player composite rankings: Malik Clark, Lex Cyrus, Brian Rowe Jr. and Donovan Murph, who will get an opportunity to make an impact as true freshman.
Clark comes in as the highest prospect among the incoming receivers, ranked as the No. 2 player in South Carolina and No. 15 wide receiver in the nation.
Listed at 6 feet, 2 inches, and 190 pounds, Clark is a great athlete who at times played both ways in high school. Clark was also a state champion sprinter during his senior year at Rock Hill High School.
Due to enrolling early, Clark is a full participant in spring practice. Along with Clark, fellow four-stars Rowe Jr. and Cyrus have also enrolled early at South Carolina to take part in spring practice.
Rowe Jr., who was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing basketball and running track, showcases a 40-inch vertical, helping the Concord, North Carolina, native take strides in becoming a day one starter early in his Gamecock career.
Cyrus is a four-star receiver from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who broke the school record for the vertical jump, posting a 40 1/2-inch leap.
Donovan Murph, the younger cousin of Gamecock legend Alshon Jeffery, was ranked as the No. 3 player in South Carolina after reclassifyng to the 2025 class. Coming out of Irmo, South Carolina, Murph is listed at 6 feet, 1 1/2 inches, and 188 pounds. He helped lead his high school team to a 13-2 record while posting 96 catches for 1,328 yards and 12 touchdowns.
However, Murph will have to wait to compete until May to join the Gamecocks in practice since he did not enroll early at South Carolina.
In addition to the four-star receivers, the Gamecocks also signed freshmen receivers Jayden Sellers and Jordon Gidron both signed and enrolled early as three-star prospects.
Jayden Sellers, who is reuniting with his brother LaNorris Sellers, is coming off a season where he had 59 receptions for 1,016 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to a state championship for South Florence High School in Florence, South Carolina.
Gidron who is just 17 years old, enrolled this past January after reclassifying into the 2025 class. The Columbia, native was an Under Armour All-American and track star in high school, winning the state championship in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, in addition to being named The State’s Co-Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 2024.
The freshman receiver had 17 catches and 121 yards for one touchdown before his senior season was cut short after he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. Gidron will look to recover from his injury and play his freshman season for the Gamecocks.
What's next?
The first time for fans to see the Gamecocks in 2025 will be the annual spring game on April 18. The game will be held at Williams-Brice Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.