South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor called "X factor" for 2025

Back in February of 2023, South Carolina football earned a commitment from its first out-of-state five-star talent in years when Nyck Harbor pledged his services to the Gamecocks. A freak of all freaks, the 6-5, 235-pound Washington DC native with Olympic-caliber sprint speed transitioned from part-time EDGE, part-time tight end duties at the high school level to full-time wide receiver following his arrival in Columbia. Harbor took some time to adjust, but heading into the 2025 season, Harbor is a breakout candidate this offseason.

According to ESPN, if that happens, it means great things for South Carolina’s College Football Playoff chances. In a recent story on every preseason top 25 team’s biggest X factors, Harbor earned the distinction among Gamecocks who could tip the 2025 season in a major way.

Said ESPN’s David Hale, “No player on South Carolina’s roster looks the part quite like Harbor. He’s 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, built like DK Metcalf, and is an absolute rocket. But that speed has been a bit of his downfall through two seasons in Columbia, where he has spent spring as part of the Gamecocks’ track team...Harbor has started 13 games over two seasons but caught only 38 passes and three touchdowns. This spring, he focused solely on football, and he says he’s poised for a breakthrough. ‘Going through a whole year totally committed to football, I’ve never had that before,’ Harbor said. ‘It’s done wonders in my ability to understand the game and build off last year. I’m going to be a whole different player by the time fall rolls around.‘”

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Harbor, who went through spring practice for the first time after choosing not to run either indoor or outdoor track, believes the full offseason on the gridiron will pay off for him. He told GamecockCentral earlier this offseason that the move accelerated his football timeline by about six months. “It’s going to do wonders,” he said. “I usually come back in July or August and try to ramp everything back up. [Now,] I’m just smooth sailing.” Instead of a summer start, Harbor went through spring practice and a full slate of spring and summer workouts with the team.

His position coach has noticed a difference, too.

“The more he was around, the better he became as a player, the more knowledgeable he became as a player,” said South Carolina wide receivers coach and offensive passing game coordinator Mike Furrey. “He knows what he’s doing right, he knows what he’s doing wrong. He’s like, ‘Hold on, time out a second, I could be pretty good. I can use my body, I can outrun people. I can make contested catches because I’m bigger than everybody else. And I can compete with anybody.'”

Helping his on-field development in a different way, Harbor also started wearing contacts. Though he wore glasses previously, he didn’t wear corrective lenses on the field until 2024.

With more experience (and better vision), Furrey said he believes Harbor will be a “stinkin’ good football player” this fall.

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Last season, Harbor essentially doubled his production from his freshman campaign. On the year, he logged 26 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns. However, over his last five games, he registered 15 grabs, 272 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. Harbor caught the ball better down the stretch and transitioned from pass-catcher to ball-carrier better than he had at any previous point. He also looked smoother and more mentally comfortable, too.

In a wide receiver room loaded with young talent, Harbor is the only scholarship wideout in his third year in the program and one of two (along with 2024 transfer portal addition Jared Brown) listed as a junior or senior on the official roster. If he takes another step forward, Harbor will have NFL teams clamoring for the right to draft him next spring.

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