Talented Gamecocks transfer Jalen Brooks gets NCAA waiver, finally, can play this week
South Carolina football finally got the news it wanted: Wingate transfer wide receiver Jalen Brooks will be on the field for the 2020 season.
The school announced Wednesday he’d received his NCAA waiver to be able to play this season. His request was initially denied, but he won on appeal. The school posted a video on Twitter page from practice.
“Jalen Brooks, you want to play Saturday? You just got cleared by the NCAA,” USC coach Will Muschamp said on the video as teammates mobbed him.
A day earlier, Muschamp said he didn’t know when the NCAA’s final decision would come. There was a sense it might arrive last week, but that came and went with no news. At one point right after his initial appeal was denied, Gamecocks AD Ray Tanner said Brooks deserved the chance to play.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder left Wingate after last season, spent the spring at Division II power Tarlton State and then came to Columbia in the summer to be closer to family.
Getting Brooks in the mix will be a notable boost for a wide receiver group had has needed more behind top option Shi Smith. Xavier Legette has showed promise despite up and down play, but beyond them, the group of Rico Powers, Josh Vann and Dakereon Joyner have been inconsistent, with walk-on Trey Adkins getting double-digit snaps against Vanderbilt.
“He’s a guy that can stretch the field,” Muschamp said. “In our camp, he is one of the faster guys we have on our team. He can really run on the top end and finish downfield. He’s got good ball skills again.
“He’s very bright so he can learn multiple spots. He can play inside, he can play outside, so he gives us a lot of variety as far as different stuff he’s going to bring to the table.”
“His tape is really impressive and he’s at a position where we need more productive guys and dependable guys. As we continued to research him we were extremely impressed with what we saw and felt he could be a huge contributor with us.”
Last season, Brooks posted 35 catches, 751 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 21.5 yards a catch. He had to pick up the Gamecocks offense quickly, and he was working with the starters through most of the preseason. Since then, he’s been a terror on scout team, giving potential All-American corner Jaycee Horn a stiff challenge.
“I’ve been in three offenses within two years, so it’s been a challenging task,” Brooks said during the summer. “This offense has been the most complex (I’ve played in). But it’s a pro-style offense, and I love it. And coach (Mike) Bobo has been doing such a great job of just getting us prepared for that and given us so many different looks to bring to defenses, so I’m loving it.”
He will be able to play out this season and play the next two seasons if he so chooses.
The Gamecocks face LSU at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Next USC football game
Who: South Carolina at LSU
When: 7p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24
Where: Tiger Stadium
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 10:08 AM.
