WR Bryan Edwards compared to Gamecocks legend after first game

The heights South Carolina freshman wide receiver Bryan Edwards can reach came into sharp focus as the ball sailed through the air.

He didn’t have a ton of space against the Vanderbilt cornerback, and the pass seemed destined to pull him out of bounds. Yet he caught it.

These plays aren’t a surprise to folks inside the Gamecocks’ program. He’s even drawn a comparison to a former USC star.

“They say he looks like Alshon (Jeffery),” fellow receiver Deebo Samuel said.

Invoking the name of Jeffery, now a standout in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, brings to mind the powerful leaper who skied for jump balls, out-muscled defenders with regularity and always seemed to be in the spot to make a play. He departed USC as the leading receiver in program history.

Edwards’ debut actually dwarfs Jeffery’s. The Conway High alum posted eight catches for 101 yards against the Commodores and converted a couple of key third downs. Jeffery didn’t start until halfway through his first season and managed one catch in his first game.

Edwards’ numbers stand out even when put against the debuts of Gamecock greats Pharoh Cooper (no catches), Ace Sanders (two catches, 47 yards), Bruce Ellington (didn’t register a catch until his third game) and Sidney Rice (five catches, 70 yards, 1 TD).

Edwards’ path to Columbia wasn’t the smoothest, as he committed to Steve Spurrier, decommited when the coach left, and was pursued by Clemson before coach Will Muschamp’s staff brought him into the fold in time to enroll early.

It didn’t take long for him to rise to a No. 1 spot on the depth chart. What fans saw in action Thursday night, the players and staff are used to by now.

“He’s been doing that since the spring,” Samuel said, “since he got here.”

Edwards’ rise was linked, in no small part, to the dearth of experienced receivers on the roster.

There were some freshman moments Thursday, notably a drop on a screen passl. But he also showed a range of skills, catching slants and posts over the middle, making defenders miss after the catch and, of course, using all 6 feet, 3 inches of his frame to go airborne.

“He’s a big-time playmaker,” Samuel said. “I mean, when the pressure is on, he’s going to definitely make the catch.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2016 at 5:45 PM with the headline "WR Bryan Edwards compared to Gamecocks legend after first game."