WR Mazeo Bennett enters 2025 with new sense of accountability for USC. Here’s why
South Carolina wide receiver Mazeo Bennett saw the field quite a bit for a freshman in 2024. But as he enters his second football season with the Gamecocks and works toward a starting role on offense, he’s been presented with a new challenge: leadership.
Bennett, a four-star 2024 signee from Greenville, played in all of USC’s 13 games last year, recording 30 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He’s projected to start in the slot for the Gamecocks this season. Although his focus is on securing the starting job for 2025, six freshman wideouts in USC’s 2025 recruiting class give him the unique opportunity to use his experience and guide their first seasons on campus.
“I feel like it’s my job, because I feel like I was just in their shoes last year,” Bennett said. “They’re eager to learn more. They don’t think they’ve got it. They’re eager to learn and eager to work every day.”
Despite his youth, Bennett is one of the oldest USC receivers in a room with only three upperclassmen. He said he’s leaning into that veteran role and the Gamecock freshmen are taking to his guidance.
“Those guys listen to me,” he said. “They want to gain the knowledge that we have as older guys in the room. And I know I’m not that old, but in our room I feel like kind of an older guy.”
A young player seeking to carve out a permanent role might think guiding his younger competition is counterproductive. With junior Nyck Harbor the perceived favorite to lead USC’s pass catchers this season, it’s not as if Bennett is a lock to be quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ number one option even after leading the receivers in catches a year ago.
Bennett rejected the idea. Helping along the newest crop of receivers motivates him to compete harder in practice, he said.
“Honestly, it makes me hold myself more accountable,” he said. “When I know those guys are watching me, I’ve got to make sure I go out there and do it right so they have a good example to follow up after.”
Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer addressed the idea of balancing camaraderie and competition among position groups as well, and he even used Bennett as an example.
“There’s a lot of guys who want the ball, which is great. There’s only one ball to go around,” Beamer said. “Mazeo Bennett’s not gonna catch 10 balls every single week. There may be a game where he catches zero. But how he can affect the game in other ways, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about that.”
Bennett didn’t participate in South Carolina’s spring game after tweaking his leg in one-on-one drills in a practice that week. The Gamecocks’ scrimmage Saturday was his first time back in a competitive setting.
Bennett made multiple catches during the scrimmage, Beamer said, including a key third down catch in the red zone.
“It’s good to see him out there competing,” Beamer said. “He did some really good things for us last year, and we’re counting on him to be one of those guys this year in that receiving room as well.”
With a week left in fall camp and another scrimmage upcoming, there’s still time for Bennett to solidify his role in South Carolina’s offense. But he’s bringing his freshman counterparts along with him.