COLUMBIA, S.C. — With the NFL draft coming up in just over a month, several former Gamecocks got a chance to showcase their skills in front of NFL scouts on Wednesday at USC’s pro day.
Shi Smith, Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu, Ernest Jones, and Sadarius Hutcherson were among the 14 Gamecock football players that took part in Pro Day. More than a dozen NFL teams were at pro day as they watched the players go through several drills and activities.
On Tuesday, Mukuamu and Jones touched on the importance that playing in the SEC had on their careers and their development.
“It prepared me a lot, I feel like the preparation is there and that I developed a lot at South Carolina,” Jones says. “Being with my brothers and developing a connection with them it truly helped me grow into the man that I’m becoming.”
“You see a lot of great talent in the SEC and great talent here at South Carolina,” Mukuamu says. “We had three great ones here, Deebo Samuel, Bryan Edwards are in the league, and now Shi Smith is about to be in the league too.”
At his portion of pro day, Sadarius Hutcherson was a man amongst boys on the bench press.
He repped 225 pounds 36 times, which is something he said he was going to do earlier in the week.
“My goal is to put out some really great numbers,” Hutcherson said Tuesday. “I know my bench press number is going to be in the 30s.”
The Gamecock that is expected to be drafted the highest in April’s draft is Jaycee Horn.
Horn, who is projected to be a top-15 pick in several mock drafts, finished the 2020 season with two interceptions and six pass breakups.
He was also selected to the All-SEC second team by the Coaches and the All-SEC third team by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Horn ran a 4.39 40-yard dash time at Pro Day on Wednesday.
When asked about where he fits in the pecking order of players in the draft, Horn wasn’t shy about voicing his abilities, saying he’s the best defensive player in the draft.
“I’m versatile, I got the size, I faced every receiver in regards of body type and I feel like I’m the best defensive player in the draft.” Horn said.
A player who is quite familiar with both Horn and Mukuamu is Shi Smith.
Smith led the Gamecocks in every major receiving category in 2020, tallying 57 receptions, 633 yards, and four touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the SEC in receptions per game (6.33) and ninth in receiving yards per game (70.3).
At season’s end, he was selected to the All-SEC second team by Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele. In February, he participated in the Reese's Senior Bowl, where he had 3 catches for 57 yards.
He says that competing against Horn and Mukuamu helped him become a better player.
“Going up against them helped me prepare for the best, they helped me get better and I helped them get better." Smith said.
Other former Gamecocks from the 2020 squad that participated in Pro Day were Collin Hill and Adam Prentice.
Several Gamecocks who last played for the team in either 2018 or 2019, Tavien Feaster, Javon Charleston, Daniel Fennell, J.T. Ibe, Caleb Kinlaw, and Eldridge Thompson, also had a chance to show off their skills in front of pro scouts on Wednesday.
For a detailed list of pro-day results, check below.