Multi-position threat. Playmaker. Gamer.

Pick out any of the oft-used phrases to describe Pharoh Cooper and you won’t be wrong.

But even the most noted national college football analysts who have mentioned his name when referencing South Carolina throughout the offseason don’t place him in the same stratosphere as Auburn’s Duke Williams and Mississippi’s Laquon Treadwell at the wide receiver position.

He’s a good player on a bad team. He lacks buzz. He’s not a projected 2016 first-round pick as an underclassmen. He’s undersized.

The list goes on.

Folks are aware of Steve Spurrier’s gem on the outside, after all, he was named a first-team selection to the Associated Press and Coaches preseason All-SEC teams. But the most recognizable face in Columbia remains Steve Spurrier and not his as one of the faces of the SEC entering his third season.

Why?

NCAA Football: South Carolina at Florida

The Gamecocks aren’t expected to contend for a division championship and for the first time since 2010, are on the outside looking into the preseason Top 25. Quarterback Connor Mitch as Cooper’s new facilitator in the passing game conjures up concerns. Many think the No. 1 target could struggle without experience behind him.

Unlike Treadwell and Williams, Cooper didn’t have a wave of followers coming out of high school. He was a three-star prospect out of North Carolina in the 2013 class who would’ve likely committed to the Tar Heels during his junior year had he been considered one of Larry Fedora’s primary targets, per The State.

Feeling admittedly disrespected, Cooper wanted to prove he was valuable in college football’s most competitive league, built a relationship with primary recruiter Deke Adams and signed with the Gamecocks. By comparison, Treadwell was a can’t-miss five star who had his pick of elite schools that same year while Williams was making a name for himself as the nation’s top receiver in JUCO ball.

Those two were supposed to be impact players. Cooper wasn’t. And looking at last season’s production for all three players, South Carolina’s dynamo wins going away:

2014 numbers for SEC’s top returning WRs

  • Pharoh Cooper: 69 catches, 1,136 yards, 9 TD (13 games)
  • Duke Williams: 45 catches, 730 yards, 5 TD (10 games)
  • Laquon Treadwell: 48 catches, 632 yards 5 TD (9 games)

The tape doesn’t lie. Never will you see a receiver in the SEC rocked as many times as Cooper and still come down with the football. It’s a safe bet South Carolina receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. could count on one hand how many drops Cooper’s had since he arrived on campus — in practice or in games.

Cooper, the star, emerges

Quiet as a true freshman at receiver after being utilized to a greater extent in the Gamecocks’ Wildcat package, Cooper’s raw talent in the passing game was unearthed in Nashville last fall when he caught 10 passes for 114 yards.

Cooper’s arrival moment came against Clemson in 2013 when he delivered the dagger with a touchdown pass to Brandon Wilds, but his breakout performance against Vanderbilt forced opposing defensive coordinators to take notice entering October — not that it mattered.

His school-record 233 yards receiving and two touchdowns during an overtime loss to Tennessee five weeks later solidified his status as an All-SEC player by season’s end before he finished up with a nine-catch, 170-yard outing against Miami in the Duck Commander Bowl.

The Gamecocks led the SEC last season in passing plays spanning 20 or more yards. Nearly a third of Dylan Thompson’s 60 such completions were hauled in by Cooper.

South Carolina tried him in the slot, at quarterback on special teams – the Gamecocks made great use of a guy who averaged a team-leading 13.9 yards per offensive touch.

How talented is the SEC’s top returning receiver?

Cooper, right now, would be one of the league’s star defensive backs if he switched positions. I asked him as much at SEC Media Days and he admitted he missed the defensive side of the football, especially last season when the Gamecocks were giving up big plays in bunches.

“I feel like what would I be doing if I was at DB right now, making plays and highlights … I think about it all the time,” Cooper said. “When I see a ball in the air that should’ve been picked off, I know I would’ve gotten it. But that’s not my role.”

Nope. South Carolina needs him exploiting the secondary. He’s a matchup nightmare for opposing corners.

To use an inside football term, Cooper’s what they call ‘sneaky quick’ after the catch. He’s not fast compared to a couple SEC track stars at the position, but he has getaway speed.

Several times last season, Cooper caught passes on a quick slant or deep out with room to spare before splitting the opposing safeties for touchdowns. Three of his nine scores covered 78, 51 and 85 yards.

In this clip against Auburn, Cooper burns corner Robenson Therezie on an inside move before leaving Tigers safety Joshua Hosley as if he’s standing still.

The numbers will be there again this fall for Cooper even if the Gamecocks aren’t an Eastern Division contender. He deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as other elites at the position and will continue to play with a chip on his shoulder with the underrated label.

Need more evidence? Just watch the tape.