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South Carolina WR Shi Smith indicates plans for 2021 season to Mike Bobo
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One of the Gamecocks’ steadiest offensive contributors over the last four seasons, senior wide receiver Shi Smith has, according to interim head coach Mike Bobo, made his plans for next year known.
Sr. Shi Smith has informed Mike Bobo that he plans to pro. "He’s told me that he’s moving on, but things could change. You never know who gets hired and what they are going to do, but I think his plans are to move on." No real surprise there for leading receiver.
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) November 30, 2020
Expected to enter the 2021 National Football League Draft, Smith, despite being a senior, would have been able to return to Columbia next fall if he desired, as the National Collegiate Athletic Association decided in August to not count this season as a year of eligibility.
A product of Union, South Carolina, located roughly 75 miles northwest of Columbia, Smith is leading the program in receiving this fall, having caught 54 passes for 605 yards and four touchdowns.
For his career, he has appeared in 42 games, recording 171 receptions for 2,176 yards and 13 scores.
Smith’s reception total is fourth-best in program history, trailing Alshon Jeffery by just 12 catches for third-place, and his 2,176 receiving yards are the ninth-most of any South Carolina player, 13 yards ahead of tenth-place Pharoh Cooper.
The Gamecocks (2-7) are scheduled to travel to Lexington to clash with the Kentucky Wildcats (3-6) in their regular season finale on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
Smith missed the loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on November 28 with concussion-like symptoms, and it is currently unknown if he will be available on Saturday.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Teddy Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. In addition to his work here, he has covered the Michigan Wolverines for GBMWolverine and Wolverine Digest. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.
