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Nick Emmanwori on matchups with Nyck Harbor: 'Just two freaks going at it'

On3 imageby: Collyn Taylor08/16/23collyntaylor
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori speaks at Gamecocks media day
Nick Emmanwori (Photo by Katie Dugan/GamecockCentral)

Nick Emmanwori knows what it’s like to come to South Carolina and have to learn a position almost on the fly.

A summer enrollee last year, Emmanwori went from high school linebacker to safety once arriving at South Carolina before becoming a freshman All-American. 

And now he’s seeing something similar in someone he’s going up against a ton in practice so far: Nyck Harbor.

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“Coming into college there are always going to be growing pains. When I came in at safety and was a little bit of a linebacker playing DB,” Emmanwori said. “Once he gets used to it–like I got used to playing full-time safety–he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.” 

Harbor comes in with a little more pomp than Emmanwori did. He was a five-star talent who came in as a top-35 prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. 

A tight end and EDGE in high school, Harbor is now learning the ropes at receiver. And he’s trying to chisel out a role offensively. He’s trying to get better going against a guy like Emmanwori, who relishes the chance to go against the five-star receiver.

“Any time I can go up against him, I take that chance. It’s just two freaks going at it. He’s a freak of nature; I’m a freak of nature,” Emmanwori said. “He’s big, strong, fast and can run. So am I. I love working against him. He’s going to be a great player.” 

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Harbor topped Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List released this week on The Athletic as a 6-foot-5, 230-pounder who has Olympian-level track speed. But Emmanwori warns against discrediting him as a freak, too. 

South Carolina lists Emmanwori as 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, a player who can move like a defensive back in a linebackers’ frame that was one of the best freshmen in the SEC last season. 

He played in every game last season–starting the final 12 of the year–with 85 total tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass defended. 

“I think there are a lot of guys that can’t do what I can do. There are guys out there who are freaks, like Nyck. But I don’t know, I feel like I’m the whole package,” he said. “I’m big, fast and strong. I can take anything on. If you look around the country or even in this conference you won’t see a guy like me.”

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He enters this preseason as a surefire starter at one of the safety spots with plenty of motivation. 

The media didn’t vote Emmanwori to any All-SEC team this preseason, something he’s nothing thinking about but now but is eager to prove wrong.

“Honestly, at first, I thought about it and was like, ‘Dang, after everything I did last year, no recognition?’ Me and coach (Shane) Beamer had a talk to only worry about the people in this building and they know what I can do,” Emmanwori said. “That’s what I usually am and that got me on track. I know whenever I play my game it’ll speak for itself.” 

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