COLUMBIA, S.C. — More South Carolina Gamecocks are expected to be picked on Day Three of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The draft is being held in Kansas City, Missouri near the Kansas City Chief’s home stadium.
Here’s a look at which USC players have been drafted so far.
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina Gamecocks – Round 5, Pick 138 overall by the Indianapolis Colts
Rush played high school football at C.E. Murray High in Greeleyville, South Carolina. Coming out high school he was initially projected to play wide receiver, but transitioned to defensive back.
Rush played a total of five seasons for USC. He played in 43 career games and made 21 starts. He had 74 tackles and 3 interception. He also had 15 pass breakups and had 4 tackles for loss.
Cam Smith, DB, South Carolina Gamecocks – Round 2, Pick 51 overall by the Miami Dolphins
Smith, who grew up in Blythewood near Columbia, played four years for the Gamecocks, playing cornerback.
Coming out of Westwood High School he was ranked the 19th best cornerback in the country by 247Sports Composite, a recruiting website.
He had 91 tackles in 33 games and started a total of 19 games. He had six career interceptions and 18 pass breakups. One of his key games was during last year’s upset win over Tennessee, when he had a season high seven tackles.
He’s joining a Dolphins secondary that was decimated by injuries last season, which played a role in Miami finishing 27th in passing defense in 2022.
Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina Gamecocks – Round 3, Pick 64 overall by the Chicago Bears
Pickens, from Anderson, South Carolina went to T.L. Hanna High. Coming out of high school he was the top player in South Carolina and a top 10 overall prospect in the country by both 247Sports and Rivals.
Pickens played four years as a defensive tackle and made 32 starts. He had 131 career tackles including 11.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks.