Which players will make a sophomore jump?

Everyone has heard about the “sophomore slump” in sports, but which Gamecocks are poised to take a sophomore jump in 2024?

Note: for this piece, only true sophomores will be listed.

Cornerback Judge Collier

One corner spot is seemingly up for grabs opposite incumbent starter OD Fortune. Several players in the mix, including former highly-ranked players Vicari Swain and Emory Floyd, plus incoming four-star Jalewis Solomon.

Collier is probably quietly the leader. Out of those players, he’s the only one to have started games – as a true freshman – last season. He’s a long corner who goes about his business in the right way, and is a prime candidate to take a step forward.

EDGE Desmond Umeozulu

This former four-star prospect looked like he changed his body somewhat in the offseason and looks bigger and stronger.

He flashed during the Gamecocks’ spring game, too. USC appears to have more depth at the EDGE spot heading into 2024, and Umeozulu is going to play an important role in that rotation. He’s someone who could make an impact as a pass-rusher in year two.

Offensive Guard Trovon Baugh

While Tree Babalade could certainly be included here, we tried to limit the list overall. Baugh plays a position (guard) that may not draw as much attention as left tackle. In a group of highly-ranked guys from the 2023 class, the Gamecocks staff thought he would be in position to make a quick impact.

He did, starting eight games and drawing Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-America honors. This is a big, strong, anchor type player on the interior of the line. He should only get better in his second year.

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Nickel/Safety Jalon Kilgore

Another young player who was a multi-game starter, Kilgore also drew a slew of accolades for his work as a true freshman in 2023.

He was impactful in year one and should only improve from here. He’s capable of playing multiple positions in the secondary but looks poised to man the Gamecocks’ nickel spot this season.

Wide Receiver Nyckoles Harbor

The former five-star athlete out of D.C. spent the bulk of his time this spring focusing on track and field, and it’s paid off in a big way.

Harbor most recently ran personal bests in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, clocking the second-fastest time in school history in the 200. He’s going to run in nationals this summer because of his qualifying times.

Because of his status as a prospect, many put unfair expectations on Harbor last year, despite a myriad of warnings to take it easy on such projections.

He’s still raw as a football player and the amount of time spent on track – expected throughout the recruiting process – means time that he’s not working on his football craft. That means patience will be required again.

Could Harbor take a step forward on the gridiron this season, though? We can’t rule that out, because this is a big, fast, young player who still has upside as a football player.

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