Bailey, Hurst, Samuel add wait-and-see element to South Carolina's Pro Day
South Carolina will host its annual Pro Day today, although there aren’t a lot of top prospects on display for the NFL Draft.
Believe it or not, of the 330 players invited to the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month, not one of them was a former Gamecock. All 13 of the other programs in the SEC had at least one on hand for the event.
As a result, none of the 16 USC alumni — Matrick Belton, Jordan Diggs, Chaz Elder, Darius English, Elliott Fry, Kelsey Griffin, T.J. Holloman, Shannon James, Marquavius Lewis, Cedrick Malone, Chris Moody, Darius Paulk, Marcquis Roberts, Jonathan Walton, Drew Williams and Mason Zandi are scheduled to participate — are a lock for the next level.
That doesn’t say much about ex-coach Steve Spurrier’s last couple of recruiting classes. He appears to have fell asleep at the wheel.
Fortunately, current coach Will Muschamp has the capacity to add quality talent. After signing the No. 25 class in the nation for 2016 (according to 247Sports), his second haul this past month ranked 21st. The program seems to be trending in the right direction.
It’s a distinct possibility that the ‘Cocks won’t have a single player drafted next month. The best odds probably belong to English, who is an undersized defensive end — he’s listed at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, although schools have been known to exaggerate — and might have to play linebacker at the next level.
Some franchises will surely skip out on Pro Day in Columbia. With so many campuses to visit, their resources can be better spent elsewhere.
That being said, the organizations that do make the trip to the Palmetto State could be pleasantly surprised by what they see. The only problem is they’ll have to wait at least a year to add several prospects to their draft board.
Offensive lineman Zack Bailey, tight end Hayden Hurst and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (below) are going to participate in the workout, even though all three of them will be a part of South Carolina’s roster in 2017 — Hurst reportedly considered entering the draft early but chose instead to return to the Gamecocks — one way or the other.
Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
While Bailey performed well at left guard this past season, the coaching staff is transitioning him to right tackle this spring.
Hurst, who was originally a minor-league baseball player out of high school, started his career at USC as a walk-on before earning a scholarship. After 48 catches for 616 yards in 2016, he’s one of the conference’s top returning tight ends.
Samuel led the ‘Cocks with 59 receptions for 783 yards, despite the fact that he missed three games earlier in the schedule. He came on strong down the stretch — highlighted by a 14-catch, 190-yard explosion against USF in the Birmingham Bowl — and reeled in at least four balls in each of his last eight outings.
With quarterback Jake Bentley and tailback Rico Dowdle both coming off terrific freshman campaigns, Muschamp’s offense is poised to improve.
On the offensive depth chart for the bowl game in December, Zandi was the one and only senior among the first- and second-stringers. Bailey, Hurst and Samuel will be juniors this coming year and have All-SEC potential.
If Bailey plays as well at right tackle as he did at left guard, then he’ll have already put some position versatility on display for scouts. Hurst is an outstanding athlete — cemented by his baseball background — at 6-foot-5 and 253 pounds. While Samuel is a bit of a late bloomer, he may have the most upside of all.
Expect more NFL teams to be in attendance for Pro Day at South Carolina next year. Today is simply a sneak preview.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
