Gage Larvadain addresses concerns about lack of height in South Carolina's wide receiver room
Heading into the 2024 season, South Carolina’s wide receiver room has been surrounded by many question marks.
One of the big questions pertains to who will emerge as a starter for the Gamecocks this upcoming year. South Carolina lost four of its top five pass catchers from last season — a list that does not include Juice Wells, who transferred to Ole Miss — during the offseason. Because of this, head coach Shane Beamer said the wide receiver room was one he plans on keeping a close eye on during preseason camp.
Another question mark highlights the novelty most wide receivers have with the South Carolina football program. The Gamecocks’ 2024 roster features two freshmen and five incoming transfers, none of whom have SEC experience, in the position group.
But yet another of those question marks focuses on the physical makeup of South Carolina’s wide receiver room — specifically, players’ heights.
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Of the 15 players listed as wide receivers on the team’s roster, only three are listed as being 6-foot-2 or taller — Nyck Harbor (6-foot-5), Dalevon Campbell (6-foot-4) and CJ Adams (6-foot-2). The Gamecocks’ other 12 receivers’ heights range from 6-foot-1 to 5-foot-8:
- Emazon Littlejohn: 6-foot-1
- Eriq Rice: 6-foot-1
- Jared Bown: 6-foot
- Elijah Caldwell: 6-foot
- Debron Gatling: 6-foot
- Vandrevius Jacobs: 6-foot
- Payton Mangrum: 6-foot
- Mazeo Bennett: 5-foot-11
- Ahmari Huggins-Bruce: 5-foot-11
- Tyshawn Russell: 5-foot-11
- Gage Larvadain: 5-foot-9
- Aaron Morton: 5-foot-8
Larvadain, a transfer from Miami-Ohio, does not see South Carolina’s lack of height at the position as a disadvantage. Instead, he sees it as the opposite.
“You all might think it’s a disadvantage, but we think it’s an advantage. We use that as an advantage. You got to come out there and guard us. Have fun, you know what I mean?” Larvadain said.
“Not to even be cocky or anything, but I know a lot of people look at it as a disadvantage. But we kind of embrace it. That’s the way it is. I’ve been short my whole life. The rest of the guys have been short their whole lives. (It) hasn’t stopped us — we got here.”
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Adding players with height to the roster provides South Carolina with additional versatility in its wide receiver room, though. And that’s exactly why Larvadain said the Gamecocks acquired Campbell from the transfer portal.
Campbell was a speedy aerial threat during his two seasons with Nevada. In his time with the Wolf Pack, he averaged 15.8 yards per carry; this number was 19.2 during the 2024 season. He totaled 806 yards and two touchdowns on 51 catches before deciding to join the Gamecocks.
Larvadain said Campbell’s attributes, as well as those of Jacobs, will help remedy South Carolina’s lack of height moving forward.
“(Campbell and Jacobs are) guys who our staff felt like they had to go and get. You speak about our height, you know, you go in the transfer portal, and get big D-Camp to help us out out there. (He’s) a big body, a big target. Then, you got another guy, Dre. He’s from Florida. You know all the Florida guys — they can roll, so we got another speed weapon out there,” Larvadain said.
“(They’re) both great people, both great players. They’re going to come in here, and they’re making an immediate impact already, so (they’re) both guys that we felt we truly needed.”
