Why a USC true freshman is among the receivers Muschamp says can contribute in 2020
There’s a sort of invisible line that shows that level of trust between coach and player. It’s a kind of reliability that instills confidence, a sense that if a player gets sent out onto the field, they’ll do what’s asked and needed.
South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp said there’s a group of five wide receivers he’s confident can contribute this coming season. That includes a true freshman who has impressed since arriving on campus.
“There’s a young guy, Rico Powers, that’s going to play for us this year,” Muschamp said. “The guy can finish on the top end. [He’s] a guy that we’ve been really pleased with.”
The coach said he needs more players to step up and “practice the right way.” But he said Powers was in that reliable group of five alongside a few older players.
▪ Senior Shi Smith: “He’s had a really good summer. Looking forward to seeing him continue to progress.”
▪ Sophomore Xavier Legette: “I think he’s made huge strides from his freshman year; really, the light started to go on for him.”
▪ Dakereon Joyner: “Has done some really nice things.”
Based on the context, it appeared the fifth player he was referencing was Luke Doty, an Elite 11 quarterback who is a high-end athlete and might work in at wide receiver this season. He’s been practicing at the spot in the summer and looked good in that period.
That means the group of the five most trusted players at this point includes two former quarterbacks (Joyner only became a full-time receiver at the start of the offseason), two true freshmen and one player who has been on campus longer than two seasons.
Joyner appears to be in good position to be the team’s top slot receiver.
Powers comes in at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. He posted 478 yards at 20.8 yards per catch his senior year of high school, the first he played receiver full-time. As a junior, he played slot back in an option offense and ran for 1,000 yards, with 561 more through the air.
The receiver group behind them has some interesting pieces who could perhaps step up. OrTre Smith and Josh Vann have produced at points but rarely consistently. Randrecous Davis has oft been injured, while Chad Terrell is recovering from a torn ACL. Tyquan Johnson is a speed guy, and freshmen Mike Wyman and Ger-Cari Caldwell are both in the mix.
