South Carolina football: A former five-star prospect is considered the Gamecocks’ breakout prospect.

Before the 2023 season, South Carolina football fans had irrational expectations for Nyck Harbor, a 5-star freshman. It took him a while to adjust to the college game since the freakazoid athlete (6’5″, 240 pounds, Olympic-caliber sprint speed) had never actually played wide receiver.

By season’s end, Harbor was clearly more at ease on the field, and he had a few memorable plays (a crucial first-down stop against Kentucky, a long contested catch against Florida, and six grabs against Missouri).

Nyck Harbor should have a stronger season in 2024 after an offseason of football team growth and lightning-fast track and field program advancements.

Some even have called the Washington DC native a breakout candidate for next fall.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports selected Harbor as one of eleven athletes nationwide who are “primed for 2024 breakout.”

The rationale for believing that #8 might have a successful sophomore campaign is clear: Harbor should have more opportunity, experience, and skill levels going into 2024 than they did the previous season. These elements, together with his inherent talent, ought to help him contribute more to Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football team.

The experience factor is crucial for most college football players. However, when players shift to a new spot on the field, it becomes even more valuable. Not only had Harbor not played much receiver in high school, when he did (really as a flexed tight end), he was so much bigger and faster than everyone else, he was able to rely on his size and speed for all of his production. He should continue to get better as he gets more and more comfortable split out wide.

Xavier Legette was another outstanding wide receiver on the club from the previous season. Despite not having quite the same build as Harbor, Legette collected 1255 yards of passes in 2023 and played a very similar style to his rookie partner. Legette has exceptional speed, and he was physically strong and large enough to have a significant impact on jump balls. Now that XL has left to join the NFL, Harbor has an opportunity to somewhat fill the vacuum.

To be honest, Harbor struggled with various receiving abilities in 2023, whether it was because of inexperience, lack of preparation (he missed a portion of the offseason due to injury), or something else entirely. For most of the year, running the route was difficult, and his hands weren’t always reliable. Going into next year, Gamecock supporters may anticipate both of those to be significantly better.

Does Nyck Harbor have a chance to have a breakthrough season? No, and holding him to that standard is probably still unfair for a player making his transition to a new position and spending a portion of his offseason running track away from the football team. It is, nevertheless, undoubtedly feasible, and progress ought to be anticipated.

Harbor hopes to qualify for the national championships by competing in the SEC indoor track and field championships this coming weekend.