With the first University of South Carolina football game of the season in just over a week, preseason predictions are in full swing.
The Gamecocks had four players selected to the 2017 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Football Teams, which were announced on Aug. 23.
Tight end Hayden Hurst and linebacker Skai Moore were named to the first team, while offensive lineman Zack Bailey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel were named to the third team. Samuel was selected not only as a wide receiver but also as an all-purpose threat. Reigning SEC champion Alabama led the conference with 15 selections, while eight schools have five or more.
Last season, the Gamecocks had two players — Mason Zandi and Elliott Fry — selected to the coaches’ preseason teams, but finished the season with zero players selected by the coaches to All-SEC teams.
Hurst was also selected to the preseason Athlon's All-SEC first team and is a second-team selection by the media. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior compiled 616 receiving yards on 48 passes last season, averaging 12.8 yards per catch. His longest catch was 47 yards, tying Samuel’s for the longest on the for the season, and came against Florida on Nov. 12.
“For me, I just try to do what the coaches tell me,” Hurst said. “I try to be that reliable target for Jake [Bentley] whenever he needs it. I tell him ‘Whenever you’re in trouble, just give it to me. I’ll kind of bail you out.’”
Like Hurst, Moore will return to the field this season with high expectations. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound redshirt senior missed the entire 2016 season due to a surgically-repaired herniated disk in his neck. He is the most decorated player on the USC team, being named to the 2015 All-SEC second team by the Associated Press and Coaches.
Head coach Will Muschamp is not only excited about the return of Moore’s talent, but also his leadership skills to help guide the younger linebackers.
“Skai and Bryson Allen [Williams] are two guys that have played a lot of football,” Muschamp said. “They are two experienced players and productive players as well. In order to be a leader, you got to be a productive guy. You can’t be a guy running your mouth all the time but not make any plays. Those guys do lead by example by how they prepare, how they practice and how they go about their business, but they are very productive.”
Bailey, who is known as the Gamecocks’ top offensive lineman, was a member of the Coaches SEC All-Freshman Team in 2015 and was named to Athlon’s Preseason All-SEC third team this season. After making 15 starts in a row at the left guard position, the 6-foot-6, 311-pound junior is slated to start at right tackle this season.
Similar to Bailey, Samuel put together a standout season in 2016. As a sophomore, he led the Gamecocks with 783 receiving yards on 59 passes, along with six rushing touchdowns. Compared to his SEC counterparts, Samuel ranked second in all-purpose yardage per game with 132, third in receptions per game with 5.9 and fourth in receiving yards per game with 78.3, per GamecocksOnline.
“He’s very dangerous with the ball in his hands,” Muschamp said. “He has really good lower body strength. He can run through tackles, much like a running back with a ball in his hands. We’ve got to find different ways to target him in the game. He needs to be touching the ball 10-15 times.”