Jalen Brooks heading to the NFL
South Carolina receiver Jalen Brooks is getting his shot in the NFL.
The Gamecocks’ senior was drafted No. 244 overall Saturday afternoon by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round.
It ends a three-year stint with the Gamecocks and gives Brooks a chance to make an NFL roster this summer.
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In three seasons Brooks caught 58 passes for 785 yards and two touchdowns over 22 games with the Gamecocks.
Brooks is coming off his best season yet at South Carolina where he caught 33 balls for 504 yards, an average of 15.3 yards per attempt, with one touchdown.
He also rushed four times for 51 yards including a massive touchdown against Kentucky to help seal a very important win over the Wildcats. It was the Gamecocks’ first win in Lexington since 2012.
“We’re just building that confidence within each other,” Brooks said in 2022. “I feel like we practice that a lot, and we’re able to repeat it a lot and be successful a lot, which creates a better opportunity on Saturdays.”
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Brooks only played in 10 games over his first two seasons at South Carolina, five apiece in 2020 and 2021. Brooks had to wait to become eligible after coming in from Wingate in the offseason then spent the back half of last season away from the team.
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He returned in 2022 to have that career year and help the Gamecocks earn an 8-4 regular season with big wins over Tennessee and Clemson to end the year.
“He’s very unselfish. He’s got a great energy about himself,” Shane Beamer said last season. “I think it’s just he’s appreciative for the opportunity that he got again and is maximizing that. And he’s a really good football player too that just continued to get better.”
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He was part of a receiver crew that took a step forward last season with the emergence of Juice Wells and productive seasons from Dakereon Joyner, Josh Vann, Brooks and others.
“Big props to coach (Justin) Stepp because he has us work a contested catch drill at least once a week,” Brooks said after the SC State game. “He does a great job working with us. So I give him full props for that.”
