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We’re wrapping up The Final Cockdown’s Wide Receiver week, where we go down the depth chart and take a look at who will be catching touchdowns from Jake Bentley this year. Missed a player? Catch up:
Bryan Edwards | Deebo Samuel | Terry Googer | Dreak Davis & Korey Banks | Chad Terrell | Chavis Dawkins | Ortre Smith & Shi Smith
#83 Chavis Dawkins
Sophomore / 6’2”, 209 / Duncan, SC / Byrnes
Chavis Dawkins is an interesting name to watch: he attended Byrnes High School, where current Gamecocks RB coach and top recruiter Bobby Bentley made a name for himself as one of the top high school coaches in the country and still has a number of connections. (Naturally, Bentley was Dawkins’ primary recruiter.) He crested the 1,300 yard mark and was good for 17 touchdowns as a senior at Byrnes in 2015 who, mind you, were very good that year: they finished ranked #3 in the state and made it to the Class 4A semifinals before falling to Dorman.
All that to say Dawkins wasn’t brought in to warm the bench. And even Bryan Edwards thinks he’s set up for bigger things in the upcoming season:
He’s a surprisingly strong guy. He’s about 217 and he’s fast. You look at him, and he doesn’t look that fast, but DBs are backpedaling and thinking how they need to get out of their break.
While Edwards, Deebo Samuel and Hayden Hurst (more on him Monday) will be getting the most press as potential weapons for the younger Bentley, don’t sleep on Dawkins as one who could see his abilities capitalized on in the coming season.
2016 stats: eight catches, 69 yards
Recruitment: Three-star recruit who 247 considered the state’s #19 player and the #143 WR overall. Offered by App State, Georgia Southern, UMass, N.C. State, Old Dominion and Wake Forest before pledging to South Carolina on January 9, 2015. Here’s what we wrote about him on National Signing Day last year.
Selected highlight: This is called making the most of your 6’2” frame:
Up next: The tight ends, starting with the one that made a serious step forward last year.