Nyck Harbor making early impressions at South Carolina

South Carolina football landed the first 5-star in the Shane Beamer era when it signed five-star WR Nyckoles Harbor.

Entering his first camp, the expectations are riding high for the 6-foot-5, 241-pound freshman wide receiver.

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South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains now has a very versatile weapon in his arsenal. Loggains is eager to see Harbor in pads for the first time.

“We know that he’s a 6-foot-5, 241-pound athlete that’s one of the fastest people in the country at his age, and on top of that, he’s a humble kid and a hard worker,” Loggains said. “You get these questions ‘Well is he a track athlete or is he a football player’ and we’re about to find out.”

It has been a long time since South Carolina fans have been this excited about a player. It has also been a long time since college football has seen such a player.

Some of Harbor’s earliest impressions came from his teammates. Redshirt senior vornerback Marcellas Dial thinks that Harbor is going to have a big year.

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“Oh yeah, he’s definitely gonna be a problem, don’t let his stride get on you,” Dial said. “He’s very fast, he’s got a lot of raw talent and he’s gonna be a big weapon for us this season.”

It’s rare when you get to coach such a raw athlete. Harbor’s position coach Justin Stepp has been in awe of the talent he’s seen so far.

“I’m trying not to screw him up, I’m trying to teach him the nuances of the position. The timing the spacing in relation to the quarterback and all that stuff,” Stepp said. “The kid’s been blessed with a God-given ability that I can’t coach. He works really hard, he’s got an unbelievable attitude so it makes it a lot easier.”

Harbor’s upbeat attitude and personality are already wearing off in the building. It is very evident that he will be a leader on the offense in years to come.

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“Early impressions are that he is a fantastic young man. Keeps me on my toes because he’s always critiquing my shoes or whatever I’m wearing,” Beamer said. “He’s not afraid to speak what’s on his mind and let you know, but he’s awesome to be around.”

After sprinting in the spring, Harbor now enters his first college fall camp and has the opportunity to get even better and prepare himself for the grind of the SEC.

“(Harbor)’s on his way and as I’ve talked about before we just got to be smart about that he’s an 18-year-old fresh out of high school so let’s understand there’s going to be some growing pains, but he works at it and does very very very business-like and professional in how he handles his business on and off the field,” Beamer said.

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