Replacing Pharoh Cooper: Who are South Carolina’s go-to passing options for 2016?

Pharoh Cooper has been the best offensive player at South Carolina for the past two seasons.

In that span, he’s racked up 135 catches for 2,109 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 311 yards and three TDs and tossed three touchdown passes of his own.

But he’s leaving a year of eligibility on the table and moving on to the NFL, leaving a rather large hole in the Gamecocks offense.

The team’s next-leading pass catcher, TE Jerell Adams, is also moving on. So finding a go-to receiver is a high priority for coach Will Muschamp and his staff.

Here are a few players that have a chance to fill that void next season:

5. Jerad Washington, R-Fr., WR — A three-star recruit out of Jacksonville, Washington played his way into the rotation before breaking his leg in an August practice. He’s small, listed at 5-foot-8, 158 pounds, so he’s probably more suited to a slot receiver role. He enrolled early last year, and impressed coaches with his speed before his injury.

4. D.J. Neal, Soph., WR — A four-start recruit, Neal was thrust into action as a true freshman in 2015. His numbers were modest, with eight catches for 104 yards, but he has the size (6-3, 193 pounds) to play on the outside. He’s athletic enough to have been a 32nd-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in last year’s MLB Draft, too. He may play baseball in the spring, which could affect his role on the football field.

3. Bryan Edwards, HS, WR — Edwards, a four-star prospect from Conway, S.C., re-committed to the Gamecocks this week, and he’s a big get for Muschamp and company. He’s got size and speed at 6-3, 208 pounds, and assuming he’s recovered from a knee injury that shortened his senior season, he’ll get the chance to play his way onto the field as a freshman.

2. Hayden Hurst, Soph., WR/TE — The likely heir-apparent to Adams, Hurst had modest numbers as a true freshman in limited duty, with eight catches for 106 yards. He’s 22 years old, having spent a few years in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before walking on at South Carolina, and he packs a lot of athleticism into his 6-5, 252-pound frame.

1. Deebo Samuel, Soph., WR — Samuel redshirted in 2014, then entered the 2015 season as a starter. Injuries kept him out of seven games in the heart of the Gamecocks’ schedule, but he was still the team’s third-leading receiver with 12 catches for 161 yards and a score. He had five grabs for 104 yards in the season finale against Clemson, and he’ll be looking to carry that momentum forward into 2016.

Randy Capps

Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.