Deebo SamuelSouth Team

SUMMARY: One of the most electrifying players in college football, the talented wide receiver and kick returner is an all-conference and All-America candidate in his final campaign... named to Athlon Sports’ 2018 pre-season first-team All-SEC unit as both a wide receiver and kick returner and second-team All-America at both positions... owns 86 career receptions for 1,194 yards... has scored 15 career touchdowns - seven on the ground, five receiving and three via kickoff return... has also thrown one touchdown pass... is the school’s record-holder in kick returns for touchdowns... has played in 18 games over the past three seasons with 16 career starts... was limited in the spring due to injuries.

JUNIOR (2017): Was on his way to an outstanding campaign when he left the Kentucky game in the third quarter with a broken leg... despite playing in just three games, still tied for the team lead with six touchdowns... accounted for three receiving, two kick return and one rushing TD... averaged 158.0 yards of total offense per game... received two kickoffs and returned them both 97 yards for scores... logged 15 receptions for 250 yards, an average of 16.7 yards per catch, and rushed twice for 30 yards... caught five passes for 83 yards and two TDs in the season opener against NC State... also returned the game's opening kick 97 yards for a score, earning a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll and SEC Special Teams Player of the Week recognition... scored a pair of touchdowns in the win over Missouri, racing to a 97-yard kick return for Carolina's first points of the game and later taking it in on a 25-yard rush... earned the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll and SEC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades for the second-straight week... became the first Gamecock to log three career kick return touchdowns and the third to return two kicks for TDs in a season... caught five balls for 122 yards and a touchdown vs. Kentucky, including a 68-yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage... named a game captain against Missouri and Kentucky.

SOPHOMORE (2016): Sophomore who shared the Steve Wadiak MVP Award with Jake Bentley, was the Steve Spurrier Award winner as the Offense's MVP and was selected as the Most Explosive Player on offense by his teammates... led the squad with 59 catches for 783 yards despite playing in just 10 games... also rushed 15 times for 98 yards and six TDs, returned 16 kickoffs for a 26.9-yard average with one score, returned two punts for eight yards and threw a 33-yard touchdown pass... ranked third in the SEC in receptions per game (5.9), fourth in receiving yards per game (78.3), third in kickoff return average and second in all-purpose yardage per game (132.0)... caught two passes for 36 yards at Vandy and scored on an eight-yard run for Carolina's lone TD... battled hamstring issues throughout the Mississippi State game... did not play against East Carolina, Kentucky or Texas A&M due to the balky hamstring... had four catches for 90 yards against Georgia... tallied eight catches for 106 yards vs. UMass... collected eight catches for 83 yards in the Tennessee win... set then-career highs with nine catches for 125 yards and had a rushing TD against Missouri... scored three times against Western Carolina, two rushing and one on a 100-yard kick return... threw a 33-yard TD pass and returned six kicks for 124 yards against Clemson... had his best game against USF when he tied the school record with 14 receptions and set Birmingham Bowl records with 14 receptions and 190 receiving yards... also scored a rushing touchdown in that contest... garnered the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring honors.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2015): Played in five games, making three starts while battling injuries... fourth on the team with 12 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown... started but suffered a hamstring injury in the season opener against North Carolina... made his first catch for 10 yards against Kentucky... started and caught two passes for 20 yards against Georgia... continued to have issues with the hamstring and sat out the next seven contests... returned to action against The Citadel... moved back into the starting lineup for the season finale against Clemson and responded with a then-career-best performance, logging five catches for 104 yards and a his first career TD, a seven-yard catch... also had a career-long 48-yard reception in that contest... recognized with the Big Plays award for the offense in the spring.

REDSHIRT (2014): Redshirted as a true freshman... worked with the scout team.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played for Mark Hodge at Chapman High School in Inman, S.C.... led the Panthers to an 11-4 record and a semifinal berth in the AAA playoffs as a senior... logged 166 catches for 2,751 yards and 36 touchdowns during his career... also rushed 133 times for 898 yards and scored 13 times on the ground... collected a school-record 53 career TDs... added 94 tackles and 12 interceptions... as a senior, logged 61 receptions for 1,184 yards and 15 scores... added 837 yards on the ground with 13 TDs... also scored twice on INTs... named the High School Sports Report Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year... played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas... caught 78 passes for 1,246 yards and 18 scores as a junior... also had a kick return and a punt return for a touchdown... played defensive back and running back as a sophomore... Rivals considered him the No. 53 wide receiver in the nation and the 17th-best player in the state... was the fifth-best player in the state, the 35th-best wide receiver in the nation, and was No. 238 overall according to 247Sports... ESPN rated him the 192nd-best wide receiver in the nation and the 32nd-best player in the state... a PrepStar All-Atlantic Region pick.

PERSONAL: Tyshun Samuel was born January 15, 1996... is a retail management major... scheduled to graduate in December... the nickname "Deebo" comes from the neighborhood bully character played by actor Tiny Lister in the movie "Friday."