This is not an encouraging take from Beamer on Nyck's development at WR

[18IsTheMan]

"It's really important to him to develop as a receiver. And frankly he's got a lot to develop at. He didn't really play it in high school. Playing wide receiver at the SEC level is different. Getting off press coverage, how to run routes, perimeter blocking, catching the ball, run after the catch, doing stuff on special teams for us, so everything to be honest with you."

South Carolina Expects to Play a Lot of Receivers Saturday; Plus Nyck Harbor's Development Heading Into Year Two

As kickoff this Saturday inches closer and closer, Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer talked about the development of sophomore Nyck Harbor and the receiver room

www.si.com

A pretty blunt assessment and sounds like he's a long way off his development.

 

[92Pony]

I said it last year, and I stand by; I don't think we will ever see any meaningful contribution from him here. Maybe 12-15 catches/yr for 180-225yds... Such a shame... [insert "new position", "running routes is hard", blah, blah......] At any other school he'd be a star already. We manage to waste so much talent through the years.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I said it last year, and I stand by; I don't think we will ever see any meaningful contribution from him here. Maybe 12-15 catches/yr for 180-225yds... Such a shame... [insert "new position", "running routes is hard", blah, blah......] At any other school he'd be a star already. We manage to waste so much talent through the years.

Maybe some work in the spring would have been helpful.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Then you have this from ST coach DeCamillis: "He's worked throughout training camp, really to catch the ball well. That's not something that's just easy to do. Obviously, he missed all spring, so you just don't walk out there and start catching balls. He had to work a lot on that,"

A look at Carolina's top return men

JuJu McDowell and Nyck Harbor are among the players South Carolina is counting on to jump-start its return game this season.

247sports.com

Preseason of Year 2 and he's working to catch the ball well. Sigh...oh well.

Since the Olympic thing isn't happening during his time here, why not just move him back to his natural position, where he was a star player in HS? It sounds like he's basically still at Square 1 as a WR, so you'd think if he moved back to his natural position he could get up to speed faster.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

I mean, if the light already came on for him, he'd be a starter, and I don't think there's much doubt about that. If he was just up to speed as a route runner, and everyone else was an elite route runner, his size and athleticism would probably make him more effective. The lack of buzz in Camp shows that's really not happened.

He definitely wants it. He attended every team meeting during track season, hired a route coach, and put in a lot of throwing sessions with Sellers. Don't want to write off a kid putting in the work, because most of the guys who fail to develop are the ones who don't put in extra work like that. Spring football would've been big for him, by my wants as a fan don't entitle me to dictate a kid's career.

He might not start as EDGE with the depth we have there, but he probably would've last year, lol. His learning curve is definitely smaller there. At the same time, he has open field speed and change of direction most EDGEs don't have, and no one at his size. I personally don't want to say he's wrong for wanting to play receiver, because I think his speed makes him closer to Calvin Johnson than his power does to Clowney. Football is filled with people whose skill never matched their athleticism, and up until last season Legette was one. If he played EDGE, he'd be less likely to fall short of his billing, but if the light comes in at receiver, he'd be a living mismatch against everyone capable of playing coverage.

Of the 8 receivers classified as top 50 recruits in the class of '23 by On3, only 2 produced more in yardage or receptions than Harbor. All we can do is wait and hope it works out.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

I said it last year, and I stand by; I don't think we will ever see any meaningful contribution from him here. Maybe 12-15 catches/yr for 180-225yds... Such a shame... [insert "new position", "running routes is hard", blah, blah......] At any other school he'd be a star already. We manage to waste so much talent through the years.

Only 2 of the 8 receivers On3 had in the top 50 recruits in '23 have produced more than him. That's likely to change this week, but it's ridiculous to write off a true freshman like that.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Only 2 of the 8 receivers On3 had in the top 50 recruits in '23 have produced more than him. That's likely to change this week, but it's ridiculous to write off a true freshman like that.

I was VERY high on him last year and defensive of him. However, the fact that it's opening game week for his second season and he's still working on learning to catch the ball isn't....great. If he was just having to work on the finer details of route running and blocking and such, that'd be one thing. But he's still trying to learn the basics.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

I was VERY high on him last year and defensive of him. However, the fact that it's opening game week for his second season and he's still working on learning to catch the ball isn't....great. If he was just having to work on the finer details of route running and blocking and such, that'd be one thing. But he's still trying to learn the basics.

Punts and kicks aren't the same as passes. I've definitely heard he hasn't had problems catching passes this camp.

Edit: It's actually the only thing I've heard said about him playing receiver this camp.

 

[gamecocks94]

My gut is telling me that Harbor is going to be one of those players that comes in with a ton of hype and potential, but never lives up to any of it. I hope to be proven wrong.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

I was VERY high on him last year and defensive of him. However, the fact that it's opening game week for his second season and he's still working on learning to catch the ball isn't....great. If he was just having to work on the finer details of route running and blocking and such, that'd be one thing. But he's still trying to learn the basics.

Off season focus on the Olympic trials was not helpful regarding his football development but I'm sure that was part of the deal in his recruitment. Agree that using him on defense should be an option and easier to adapt to than receiver, or why not both?
In my mind, he should be pushing for playing time regardless of position given his skill ratings.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Off season focus on the Olympic trials was not helpful regarding his football development but I'm sure that was part of the deal in his recruitment. Agree that using him on defense should be an option and easier to adapt to than receiver, or why not both?
In my mind, he should be pushing for playing time regardless of position given his skill ratings.

Yep, I'm sure the Olympic thing was part of his recruiting. But now that that's over and the next Summer Olympics won't take place until 2 years after he's gone from USC, just move him back to his natural position.

 

[Greer]

I mean, if the light already came on for him, he'd be a starter, and I don't think there's much doubt about that. If he was just up to speed as a route runner, and everyone else was an elite route runner, his size and athleticism would probably make him more effective. The lack of buzz in Camp shows that's really not happened.

He definitely wants it. He attended every team meeting during track season, hired a route coach, and put in a lot of throwing sessions with Sellers. Don't want to write off a kid putting in the work, because most of the guys who fail to develop are the ones who don't put in extra work like that. Spring football would've been big for him, by my wants as a fan don't entitle me to dictate a kid's career.

He might not start as EDGE with the depth we have there, but he probably would've last year, lol. His learning curve is definitely smaller there. At the same time, he has open field speed and change of direction most EDGEs don't have, and no one at his size. I personally don't want to say he's wrong for wanting to play receiver, because I think his speed makes him closer to Calvin Johnson than his power does to Clowney. Football is filled with people whose skill never matched their athleticism, and up until last season Legette was one. If he played EDGE, he'd be less likely to fall short of his billing, but if the light comes in at receiver, he'd be a living mismatch against everyone capable of playing coverage.

Of the 8 receivers classified as top 50 recruits in the class of '23 by On3, only 2 produced more in yardage or receptions than Harbor. All we can do is wait and hope it works out.

So tremendous physiical tools but behind in develpment, sounds like DJU. I think in reality Harbor will be a track star who dabbles in football at the college level.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

Then you have this from ST coach DeCamillis: "He's worked throughout training camp, really to catch the ball well. That's not something that's just easy to do. Obviously, he missed all spring, so you just don't walk out there and start catching balls. He had to work a lot on that,"

A look at Carolina's top return men

JuJu McDowell and Nyck Harbor are among the players South Carolina is counting on to jump-start its return game this season.

247sports.com

Preseason of Year 2 and he's working to catch the ball well. Sigh...oh well.

Since the Olympic thing isn't happening during his time here, why not just move him back to his natural position, where he was a star player in HS? It sounds like he's basically still at Square 1 as a WR, so you'd think if he moved back to his natural position he could get up to speed faster.

I played WR/Flanker in high school. I can tell you that either you can catch a pass or you can not. Yes, there are certain drills you can employ to improve those skills, but they must be there in first place.
We had faster and bigger players on my team, but they just didn't have great hands.
So,DeCamillis stating that "he had to work a lot on that" for me is not a encouraging sign.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I played WR/Flanker in high school. I can tell you that either you can catch a pass or you can not. Yes, there are certain drills you can employ to improve those skills, but they must be there in first place.
We had faster and bigger players on my team, but they just didn't have great hands.
So,DeCamillis stating that "he had to work a lot on that" for me is not a encouraging sign.

Yeah, I was gonna say (but didn't have the background experience to back it up), it seems like WRs transitioning from high school to college typically have to work on the nuances of the college game...route running mostly, blocking, getting off blocks, etc. Sure, they can always improve at catching the ball, but it seems to be more of innate skill

 

[gamecock stock]

I played WR/Flanker in high school. I can tell you that either you can catch a pass or you can not. Yes, there are certain drills you can employ to improve those skills, but they must be there in first place.
We had faster and bigger players on my team, but they just didn't have great hands.
So,DeCamillis stating that "he had to work a lot on that" for me is not a encouraging sign.

I played Defensive Back in high school. I wish I had a dollar for every time a receiver dropped the ball and the Head Coach told the receiver, "It hit you in a bad place.....the hands".

 

[18IsTheMan]

Moreover, Beamer is always a glass-half-full kind of guy. He always spins things as positively as possible, so that he couldn't find a way to spin a positive with Nyck is doubly concerning.

 

[will110]

The only reason Nyck Harbor came here was because we told him he'd player receiver and be able to run track. If Harbor wants to play receiver, that's what he's going to do. If he doesn't contribute, it is what it is. But I don't think it's as simple as "move him to edge."

This news isn't surprising at all to me, though. He's been splitting time with track for his entire time at Carolina. He missed spring ball. He only caught a handful of balls last year.

I think the College Football 25 hype really made Gamecock fans think more of Harbor than he actually is. He's a freak athlete, but not a receiver (yet). That can change, given time and practice. Just look at Xavier Legette. I remember Muschamp talking about how good a receiver he would be, but it took 5 years for it to happen.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

So tremendous physiical tools but behind in develpment, sounds like DJU. I think in reality Harbor will be a track star who dabbles in football at the college level.

I feel like QB is more of a mental game than WR, so I'm not sure that's the best comparison. A QB can fail to develop from something as simple as transferring your weight properly and consistently.

And people were saying the same thing about XL last off-season. I remember taking up for him and saying you should never write a guy off, you just shouldn't get to excited until they prove it.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

Moreover, Beamer is always a glass-half-full kind of guy. He always spins things as positively as possible, so that he couldn't find a way to spin a positive with Nyck is doubly concerning.

He's an optimist, but he's always been honest about where guys are to the best of his knowledge. If anything he usually expresses caution about over hyping a guy before we play someone else.

Edit: Just think of how many if the positives about Sellers come from reporters instead of him. I think the only full throated endorsement about Sellers's star potential made publicly by a coach was from White. Beamer and Loggains have continually suggested he has a high ceiling and drive at how much he has to work to hit it.

 

[18IsTheMan]

The only reason Nyck Harbor came here was because we told him he'd player receiver and be able to run track. If Harbor wants to play receiver, that's what he's going to do. If he doesn't contribute, it is what it is. But I don't think it's as simple as "move him to edge."

This news isn't surprising at all to me, though. He's been splitting time with track for his entire time at Carolina. He missed spring ball. He only caught a handful of balls last year.

I think the College Football 25 hype really made Gamecock fans think more of Harbor than he actually is. He's a freak athlete, but not a receiver (yet). That can change, given time and practice. Just look at Xavier Legette. I remember Muschamp talking about how good a receiver he would be, but it took 5 years for it to happen.

Oh, boy, so we're comparing him to a WR who took 5 years to produce results lol

 

[80and90gcock]

How is this a surprise to anyone?

 

[18IsTheMan]

n/a

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

The only reason Nyck Harbor came here was because we told him he'd player receiver and be able to run track. If Harbor wants to play receiver, that's what he's going to do. If he doesn't contribute, it is what it is. But I don't think it's as simple as "move him to edge."

This news isn't surprising at all to me, though. He's been splitting time with track for his entire time at Carolina. He missed spring ball. He only caught a handful of balls last year.

I think the College Football 25 hype really made Gamecock fans think more of Harbor than he actually is. He's a freak athlete, but not a receiver (yet). That can change, given time and practice. Just look at Xavier Legette. I remember Muschamp talking about how good a receiver he would be, but it took 5 years for it to happen.

Oregon was offering the same, with a better track team and more NIL. He's here for the coaches. They might've offered him for TE, but it was after we already agreed to make him a receiver when Oregon did their push. It came down to money. He wanted to be here when money wasn't the issue and we convinced him his potential to earn to be at the school he wanted was worth passing up the guaranteed payout Oregon was offering. If he preferred his position, HC and track coaches at Oregon, he wouldn't be here right now.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Oregon was offering the same, with a better track team and more NIL. He's here for the coaches. They might've offered him for TE, but it was after we already agreed to make him a receiver when Oregon did their push. It came down to money. He wanted to be here when money wasn't the issue and we convinced him his potential to earn to be at the school he wanted was worth passing up the guaranteed payout Oregon was offering. If he preferred his position, HC and track coaches at Oregon, he wouldn't be here right now.

We don't actually know any of that though.

 

[will110]

Oh, boy, so we're comparing him to a WR who took 5 years to produce results lol

I'm not sure why that's a negative. We knew when he arrived he'd be a project...a five star project, of course, but still a project. Hopefully, of course, it clicks for him quicker than it did for Legette.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I'm not sure why that's a negative. We knew when he arrived he'd be a project...a five star project, of course, but still a project. Hopefully, of course, it clicks for him quicker than it did for Legette.

lol, only at South Carolina do we turn top 20 5* players into project players who might contribute in a few years. It is what it is.

 

[will110]

lol, only at South Carolina do we turn top 20 5* players into project players who might contribute in a few years. It is what it is.

It's what would have happened at any school he went to. He wasn't a wide receiver. I'd rather have the 5* project Nyck Harbor than no Nyck Harbor.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

We don't actually know any of that though.

I definitely heard we were open to letting him try receiver well before Oregon made their midnight push. We know Oregon was throwing collective money at him and we were contacting advertisers that were willing to discuss opportunities, and talk endorsements are far less guaranteed than collective money. We know Oregon has Phil Knight writing blank checks. We know that he committed when money wasn't the issue and anytime someone is secure the day before signing day and considers flipping day of, it was either planned for effect or a bidding war happened. We know Oregon wasn't offering him for DE, because they were offering him for track, too, and he would have to keep his weight down. We know from his father that he was going to sign with Oregon, and before he signed he came to his dad crying to discuss what he should do, and if he liked us before the bag was offered and he was crying after, it was clearly a tough choice, and it wouldn't have been if we were matching, or even guaranteed to be close, on money.

 

[18IsTheMan]

It's what would have happened at any school he went to. He wasn't a wide receiver. I'd rather have the 5* project Nyck Harbor than no Nyck Harbor.

I mean, I guess. I'm sure if he went somewhere like UGA, he'd be a beast this year.

Fact is, 5* recruits are few and far between for us. When we get one, we need him to have impact.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

It's what would have happened at any school he went to. He wasn't a wide receiver. I'd rather have the 5* project Nyck Harbor than no Nyck Harbor.

And if he turns it on he'd be unstoppable. I think that 'if' is worth the gamble with how EDGE looks right now.

 

[Thunderstick]

From my limited observations last year, I thought Harbor just didn't have the "hands" needed to be an outstanding WR. Catching the football didn't appear to be "natural" for him. Perhaps more time on the JUGS machine can help, but, I doubt it. This year will probably reveal/verify this.

 

[kidrobinski]

Someone I NEVER wanted the ball going to on a third down because when you NEEDED a play, he would drop it more often than not = Bryan Edwards. Yes he made the spectacular one handed grab against Tennessee; yes on first and ten he'd make a gimme catch in a zone. But when you NEEDED it....and now he's in the NFL unless he's been cut.

I suspect they're referring to the same thing with Harbor. Give him a chance before we start using words like "bode" and "develop" while pretending to know what the staff is talking about.

 

[kidrobinski]

From my limited observations last year, I thought Harbor just didn't have the "hands" needed to be an outstanding WR. Catching the football didn't appear to be "natural" for him. Perhaps more time on the JUGS machine can help, but, I doubt it. This year will probably reveal/verify this.

Disagree. Saw him make two or three pretty tough catches.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Disagree. Saw him make two or three pretty tough catches.

Yeah, there was one game last year where he was wide open and dropped pass that hit him dead in the hands. Spencer came back to him either the very next play or a couple plays later and he made a far tougher grab in a very tight window.

 

[Fried Chicken]

I kind of feel like now is the beginning of Harbor’s Football career since the Olympics are over. Fine giving him this season to attempt to improve at WR.

If that doesn’t happen, I hope we’re smart enough to have the conversation with him about his best prospects for the next level. Kind of reminds me of Chris Culliver during the Spurrier era. We gave him a shot at WR, but it didn’t work out and he moved to corner. He went on to have a solid NFL career.

 

[Harvard Gamecock]

I played Defensive Back in high school. I wish I had a dollar for every time a receiver dropped the ball and the Head Coach told the receiver, "It hit you in a bad place.....the hands".

Typical exchange with our coach
What Happened ?
It was thrown behind me
Did it hit your hands ?
Yes coach.
Then you should have caught it.

 

[Dreaus]

"It's really important to him to develop as a receiver. And frankly he's got a lot to develop at. He didn't really play it in high school. Playing wide receiver at the SEC level is different. Getting off press coverage, how to run routes, perimeter blocking, catching the ball, run after the catch, doing stuff on special teams for us, so everything to be honest with you."

South Carolina Expects to Play a Lot of Receivers Saturday; Plus Nyck Harbor's Development Heading Into Year Two

As kickoff this Saturday inches closer and closer, Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer talked about the development of sophomore Nyck Harbor and the receiver room

www.si.com

A pretty blunt assessment and sounds like he's a long way off his development.

I believe it's all low key when you talk about Harbor. I believe that the kid will be a key weapon this season and there is no need in giving the opposing team pertinent info.

 

[JoeMorrisonLives]

Disagree. Saw him make two or three pretty tough catches.

The two where Rattler underthrew, and Harbor had to fight back for it across DBs he had already between deep were fantastic. Got it through contact against Florida and diving back against Mizzou. Both showed him beat smaller DBs, one would also expect to be quicker, on quickness and body control.

We would assume his advantage would be jump balls and straight line speed, but he's already put himself using quickness and body control to win with the ball in the air on tape.

 

[Lurker123]

I kind of feel like now is the beginning of Harbor’s Football career since the Olympics are over. Fine giving him this season to attempt to improve at WR.

If that doesn’t happen, I hope we’re smart enough to have the conversation with him about his best prospects for the next level. Kind of reminds me of Chris Culliver during the Spurrier era. We gave him a shot at WR, but it didn’t work out and he moved to corner. He went on to have a solid NFL career.

This is what I was going to say. He gets a shot, then you start to talk to him.

He was a 5 star defensive end. If he's struggling at wr after two years, he needs to start thinking about where his best opportunity is at the next level.

It's not like we couldn't use help at DE too.

 

[Greer]

I feel like QB is more of a mental game than WR, so I'm not sure that's the best comparison. A QB can fail to develop from something as simple as transferring your weight properly and consistently.

And people were saying the same thing about XL last off-season. I remember taking up for him and saying you should never write a guy off, you just shouldn't get to excited until they prove it.

That is fair. I think his heart may be in track though. Who runs track if they don't love it?