A viewer’s guide to all the SC connections at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine
The state of South Carolina produces plenty of NFL talent. This week, 12 of those players are scheduled to chase NFL careers.
South Carolina and Clemson are slotted to send three and four players, respectively, to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that begins Tuesday. S.C. State and Coastal Carolina will also be represented.
Former Columbia-area high school standouts Channing Tindall (Georgia/Spring Valley), Amaré Barno (Virginia Tech/Westwood) and D’Marco Jackson (Appalachian State, Broome) will be in attendance as well.
Here’s what to watch this week as workouts get underway:
Two Gamecock running backs working out
South Carolina has produced a handful of professional running back prospects over the last decade.
Marcus Lattimore dazzled the country with his ability before knee injuries largely ended his playing career. Mike Davis has bounced around the NFL but remains productive at football’s highest level. Rico Dowdle, too, has stuck with the Dallas Cowboys since entering the league in 2020.
This year, though, is a different ballgame for former USC rushers.
Gamecocks tailbacks Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White both received NFL combine invites in 2022. It’s the first time since at least 1995 that South Carolina has had two running backs at the annual scouting event.
Harris battled health issues for much of the 2021 season after undergoing offseason back surgery. He wasn’t quite the runner that led the Southeastern Conference in rushing during the 2020 regular season, but there were spurts where he looked the part. (See wins over Florida and North Carolina as evidence.)
White is the more likely of the two to get drafted come April, and he received high praise for his efforts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama last month. He figures to test well given his speed and ability to catch passes out of the backfield.
Harris and White — and Gamecocks defensive end Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare, for that matter — should have plenty of eyes on them this week in Indianapolis.
South Carolina football players’ tentative workout schedule
▪ RB ZaQuandre White — Friday, March 4 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
▪ RB Kevin Harris — Friday, March 4 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
▪ DE Kingsley Enagbare — Saturday, March 5 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
Another strong draft class for Clemson
Trevor Lawrence drew countless headlines ahead of last year’s NFL Draft, and with good reason.
Lawrence went No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and was one of the more prized quarterback prospects to come out of college football in the last 10 years. That’s not to mention the four other Tigers who were selected in last year’s draft.
The 2022 draft cycle should be a bit slower, but still strong, on the Clemson side of things.
Receiver Justyn Ross is arguably the highest-upside guy of the four Tigers working out at the NFL combine this week, but he’ll have to answer myriad questions about his injury history before teams invest a high pick in him. If everything checks out health-wise — and that’s a big “if” — Ross could climb boards in a hurry.
Cornerback Andrew Booth should be the first Clemson player selected in this year’s draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Booth as the No. 25 player and No. 3 corner available, per his latest big board. This week should be as much about Booth solidifying his spot toward the back end of the first round as much as anything else.
Former Tigers Mario Goodrich and Baylon Spector will also work out this week. Both are likely to be Day 3 selections, but a solid combine showing would go a long way in securing positioning in the back end of the draft.
Clemson football players’ tentative workout schedule
▪ WR Justyn Ross — Thursday, March 3 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
▪ LB Baylon Spector — Saturday, March 5 between 4 pm and 11 p.m.
▪ DB Andrew Booth — Sunday, March 6 between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET
▪ DB Mario Goodrich — Sunday, March 6 between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET
The best of the rest from the Palmetto State
South Carolina and Clemson won’t be the only institutions in the state represented at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
S.C. State defensive back Decobie Durant will be there. So, too, will Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely and defensive lineman Jeffrey Gunter.
Channing Tindall figures to be among the most high-profile of the players in Indianapolis with ties to South Carolina. The Columbia native and former Spring Valley standout is rated the No. 4 inside linebacker in the 2022 draft class by Kiper. Pro Football Focus has Tindall slotted as the No. 79 prospect on its big board.
Amaré Barno should also get some attention after leading Virginia Tech with 10 quarterback hurries and recording 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss in 11 games last season. PFF has Barno rated the No. 190 player and No. 26 edge defender in a loaded defensive end class.
Appalachian State linebacker D’Marco Jackson is a Spartanburg native. The former Broome High School standout earned All-American nods from the Pro Football Network (second team), Phil Steele (fourth team) and PFF (honorable mention). Jackson was also named the 2021 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and particpated in last month’s Senior Bowl.
One-time Clemson defensive back Derion Kendrick earned a combine invite as well. Kendrick transferred from Clemson to Georgia last year and starred for the Bulldogs during their national championship season this fall.
State of SC players’ tentative workout schedule
▪ TE Isaiah Likely — Thursday, March 3 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
▪ LB Channing Tindall — Saturday, March 5 between 4 pm and 11 p.m.
▪ LB D’Marco Jackson — Saturday, March 5 between 4 pm and 11 p.m.
▪ DL Jeffrey Gunter — Saturday, March 5 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
▪ DL Amaré Barno — Saturday, March 5 between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
▪ DB Decobie Durant — Sunday, March 6 between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET
▪ DB Derion Kendrick — Sunday, March 6 between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET
NFL combine drill, workout list
Players will participate in the following drills to test their speed, strength, agility and explosiveness, among other metrics:
- 40-yard dash
- Bench press
- Vertical jump
- Broad jump
- 3-cone drill
- Shuttle run
NFL combine position workout schedule
- Thursday, March 3 (4 p.m. — 11 p.m. ET): Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
- Friday, March 4 (4 p.m. — 11 p.m. ET): Running Backs, Offensive Linemen and Special Teams
- Saturday, March 5 (4 pm — 11 p.m. ET): Defensive Linemen and Linebackers
- Sunday, March 6 (2 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. ET): Defensive Backs
How to watch the NFL combine on TV
What: NFL Scouting Combine
When: Tuesday, March 2 through Sunday, March 7
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: ESPN and NFL Network will have coverage throughout the week
