Is South Carolina too young at wide receiver?
——This is part of a summer series. Leading up to the start of South Carolina’s 2025 season, The State is answering 25 of the most interesting questions surrounding the Gamecocks football team. This is No. 10 ——
South Carolina does not lack for athleticism at wide receiver.
Nyck Harbor’s athletic ability has garnered a cult following of gamers. Sophomore Mazeo Bennett proved at last that he checks all the ability boxes. And the Gamecocks’ half-dozen freshmen, if the spring game was any indication, don’t lack any athleticism, either.
So perhaps there should be no concern about the Gamecocks’ wide receiving corps.
But then you start to look at ages and stats and, well, it’s hard to not have a bit of hesitation. Of South Carolina’s 10 scholarship receivers heading into the 2025 season, only Jared Brown (redshirt senior), Harbor (junior) and Vandrevius Jacobs (redshirt sophomore) are not underclassmen.
And those three were far from being No. 1 options last season, combining for 53 catches, 801 yards and four touchdowns.
All that means is that South Carolina is beholden to its youth — or needs someone’s development to skyrocket, which has recent precedent. After racking up just over 400 yards in four seasons, Xavier Legette exploded for 1,255 yards as a redshirt senior two seasons ago and turned into a first-round NFL Draft pick.
Could that be Harbor in 2025? Those are certainly his expectations, especially after he chose to step away from track in order to focus on his football development.
But the bet South Carolina put more of its chips on is that a few — or, at least one — of its freshmen become stars.
The Gamecocks are so confident in the immediate ability of their six freshmen WRs — Brian Rowe Jr., Donovan Murph, Jayden Sellers, Jordon Gidron, Lex Cyrus and Malik Clark — that they didn’t take a single transfer receiver.
They are certainly talented. They are also unproven. Think about Harbor two years ago — he arrived at Carolina as a five-star expected to light up the SEC right away. Problem was, it took time.
So will these six new faces need time?
The argument against that is layered. First off, the Gamecocks don’t need all six to be studs out of the gate. If even two could be major contributors in 2025, that’s a win.
Another thing: All but Murph enrolled early and participated in spring ball, which might alleviate whatever learning curve comes in college.
And, well, it seems like unbelievable freshman receivers grow on trees now. Last season, Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith proved it’s possible to dominate in no time. Two of Clemson’s top two receivers last year were freshmen. And even Bennett (30 catches, 337 yards, 3 TDs) was the Gamecocks’ top-producing wide receiver in his first year.
So maybe the Gamecocks have nothing to worry about. Maybe it is silly to make any predictions about receivers based on age.
25 QUESTIONS FOR THE 2025 SEASON:
No. 25 — What South Carolina positions have the most question marks heading into season?
No. 24 — A Gamecocks victory over Va. Tech would be biggest season-opening win since when?
No. 23 — How will South Carolina’s QB room shake out in 2025 and beyond?
No. 22 — If USC beat Bama or LSU in ’24, would national conversation be different right now?
No. 21 — Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line take a step forward in 2025?
No. 20 — What former South Carolina football player will get his jersey retired next?
No. 19 — Can South Carolina get to the LSU game undefeated?
No. 18 — Will Fred Johnson be South Carolina’s next great LB?
No. 17 — What’s the most important stretch in USC’s 2025 schedule?
No. 16 — Can South Carolina’s defense stay elite despite all its roster turnover?
No. 15 — What South Carolina school records could be broken in 2025?
No. 14 — What’s the ceiling for USC’s running backs, with or without Rahsul Faison?
No. 13 — Can South Carolina’s special teams get back to Beamer Ball standard?
No. 12 — Have Gamecocks found right balance of high school football talent, transfers?
No. 11 — How will Shane Beamer go viral this year with South Carolina?
No. 10 — Is South Carolina too young at wide receiver?
No. 9 — Is this South Carolina’s easiest schedule in the Shane Beamer era?
No. 8 — Will there be noticeable changes in Mike Shula’s offense at South Carolina?
No. 7 — Can South Carolina football stay relatively healthy again in 2025?
No. 6 — Is this the last year for Williams-Brice Stadium as we know it?
No. 5 — What does a path to the playoff look like for South Carolina?
No. 4 — What happens if South Carolina football is no longer an underdog?
No. 3 — How would a 10-win season in 2025 shape Shane Beamer’s legacy in Columbia?
No. 2 — Can Dylan Stewart have a better season than Jadeveon Clowney did in 2012?
No. 1 — Can LaNorris Sellers become the best QB in South Carolina history?
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
