Former South Carolina standout Deebo Samuel proved to be an excellent second-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. A 49ers scout recently revealed that another former Gamecock played a part behind the scenes: Marcus Lattimore.

“I was at the University of South Carolina practice field and saw Marcus,” 49ers national scout Chip Flanagan said in a recent ‘Meet the Scouts’ episode. “I went over and got a chance to visit with him. We talked for about 15 minutes and 13 of those minutes were spent talking about Deebo Samuel. Deebo and Marcus are from the same area and have known each other since Deebo was about 10 or 12 years old.

“You watch Deebo on college tape and he was an unbelievable returner and unbelievable with the ball in his hands as a runner and after the catch as a receiver. Being able to have Marcus’ perspective, a guy that’s highly respected coming out of South Carolina, was really valuable to me.”

Lattimore is a familiar face to the 49ers organization. San Francisco selected the former South Carolina running back with the No. 131 overall pick in 2013. Lattimore was South Carolina’s Director of Player Development for the 2018 and ’19 seasons.

Last season, Samuel recorded 57 receptions in the regular season, breaking Jerry Rice’s record for most receptions by a San Francisco 49ers rookie. He logged 802 receiving and 3 touchdowns plus 14 carries for 159 yards and 3 TDs in the regular season, along with 10 catches for 127 yards and 6 carries for 102 yards in the postseason.

[H/T The Big Spur]