South Carolina TE Joshua Simon signs NIL deal with Garnet Trust

South Carolina will officially be returning another piece on offense after Joshua Simon signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Garnet Trust.

Garnet Trust, the official NIL collective of University of South Carolina athletics, made the announcement via X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

The Crestwood (South Carolina) native signed with South Carolina as part of its 2023 transfer class. Despite a slow start to his debut season in Columbia, he had multiple big games while fellow tight end Trey Knox was out with an injury.

During the 2023 campaign, Simon appeared in 12 games, starting 4 of them. He caught 28 passes for 256 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His best performance was a six-catch, 65-yard display against Vanderbilt on Nov. 11.

Joshua Simon South Carolina Bio

*2023 Gamecock Toughness Award – Offense
*2022 Second-Team Conference USA
*2020 Third-Team Conference USA (Phil Steele)
*2020 Honorable Mention Conference USA
*2019 Honorable Mention Conference USA
*2019 All-Freshman Conference USA
*2019 Second-Team Freshman All-America (The Athletic)

Graduate transfer from Western Kentucky… figures to compete for a starting role at tight end in a completely revamped room… experienced player who has played a lot of Division I football… brings leadership, value in the pass game and toughness in the run game… made 26 starts for the Hilltoppers over the past four seasons… caught 86 passes for 1,146 yards with 16 touchdowns… his 86 career receptions ranked third in WKU history for a tight end… scored a WKU school-record 16 touchdowns by a tight end… was an All-CUSA performer in three seasons… earned the Gamecock Toughness Award for the offense in the spring of 2023.

2022 (Redshirt Junior)
Played in all 14 games, making seven starts for WKU… earned second-team All-Conference USA honors… caught 20 passes for 273 yards with seven TDs… caught two passes for 49 yards and a pair of scores at Auburn… had a season-high four catches at Middle Tennessee… caught three passes for a season-high 55 yards against FIU… had a season-long 47-yard TD reception at Hawaii.

2021 (Junior)
Played just one game due to a season-ending injury in the season opener… in that game versus UT Martin, he caught three passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns… redshirted.

2020 (Sophomore)
Started all 12 games in his second campaign, making 33 receptions for 370 yards and three touchdowns… earned 2020 Conference USA Honorable Mention and Phil Steele All-CUSA Third Team honors… had multiple catches in 9-of-12 games, including a season-high six at UAB… reached the 80-yard mark twice, with 81 yards against the Blazers and a season-high 84 in the LendingTree Bowl vs. Georgia State… led the Hilltoppers with five “explosive” catches of 20+ yards, including a season-long 40-yard grab against the Panthers.

2019 (Freshman)
True freshman who appeared in all 13 games for the Hilltoppers, including six starts… earned Conference USA Honorable Mention honors and was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team… earned a spot on The Athletic Freshman Second-Team All-America unit… logged 30 receptions for 430 yards and four touchdowns in his debut season on The Hill… had one score in each of his first four games, as four of his first eight collegiate catches went for six points… his 77-yard touchdown catch-and-run vs. Louisville was a season-high… put up season-highs of six receptions for 106 yards in WKU’s First Responder Bowl victory… was the only tight end in the nation to have 100+ yards in a 2019-20 bowl game.

HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Crestwood High School in Sumter, S.C. in 2019… played for Knights’ head coach Roosevelt Nelson… was invited to the Progress Energy Bowl North-South All-Star Game after his senior season… rated as the 44th best prospect in the state.

PERSONAL
Joshua L. Simon was born Nov. 27, 2000… earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Western Kentucky.

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!