Josh Simon seeing major uptick in production as leading man amongst South Carolina's pass catchers
Who doesn’t love a good buddy cop where two people work together for one common goal? It’s all good fun, but at some point, everyone wants to stand on their own and step into that leading role.
When Josh Simon initially transferred to South Carolina, he wasn’t the only tight end joining the mix. The Gamecocks made it a collective effort to revamp their room and did so by landing Trey Knox.
Between them, Simon and Knox proved to be a solid duo in a down year for South Carolina in 2023. They combined for 65 catches with 568 yards and four touchdowns as two of the top-four targets on the team.
Now this year, with Knox out of the picture and onto the pros, Simon is the star of his own show. And he’s relishing in the spotlight as the team’s leading pass catcher with 27 catches for 357 yards and five touchdowns.
“He’s playing at a really high level right now,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “And he showed flashes of that last year. I mean, he was a guy we probably should’ve gotten the ball to him more last year.”
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For context, Simon has one less catch right now than he did through 12 games last year. With three games to go, he’s bound to eclipse that number like he has already done in other statistical categories.
Assuming he keeps playing like he has been, he should be on pace to have the best season of his college career in his sixth year.
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“He’s just a guy that I think last year was, sidekick isn’t the best word, but it was kind of Trey Knox and then Josh was the guy that was working alongside Trey Knox,” Beamer said. “Whereas Josh has taken over the mentality, mindset, responsibility of that room in so many ways.”
While the Gamecocks now have other tight ends like Brady Hunt and Michael Smith to supplement some of what they lost with Knox, it’s been Simon mostly handling the production in that room. He’s been on a tear over his last three games with 215 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
“Doing a nice job in the run game. That’s what I like,” Beamer said, pointing out Simon’s blocking has improved throughout the season. “You guys see the ball in his hands when he’s caught it. He’s done some really good things in the run game, as well.”
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As South Carolina heads into an important three-game stretch to close out the regular season, Beamer “absolutely” expects Simon to continue to be a main focal point of the offense. And with the way he’s been playing, who can really blame him?
“He’s just playing with confidence,” Beamer said. “He’s a weapon in space, as well. So, it’s good to see. Need him to continue to be better and everybody else be better around him, as well.”
