Nyck Harbor draws a comparison to former Clemson and NFL receiver, with one caveat
Justin Stepp has coached a number of future NFL wide receivers during the stops in his college career.
But few have caught the South Carolina assistant coach’s eye like Nyck Harbor has in his short time on campus.
The freshman receiver was the highest-ranked USC signee for the Class of 2023. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Harbor was also a football and track standout at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C. The Gamecocks won a highly competitive recruiting battle between Michigan, Oregon and Maryland.
He was a two-time District of Columbia Gatorade football and track and field athlete of the year. He wasn’t an early enrollee in January, but has done his best to get up to speed since he arrived on campus in June.
“He has looked good and is learning the position. Obviously, he is extremely talented,” Stepp said Wednesday at the Birdies With Beamer golf event at Cobblestone Golf Club. “I don’t know if I have been around a guy who is as big as he is and runs as well as he does. When he takes his shirt off, he is like a grown man.”
Stepp coached future pros at SMU and Arkansas, including Courtland Sutton, Trey Quinn and Treylon Burks.
Asked who Harbor reminded him the most of, Stepp singled out Martavis Bryant, who played at Clemson when the coach was a graduate assistant there from 2009-11.
The 6-foot-4 Bryant went on to be a fourth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played five seasons in the NFL. He’s currently playing in the XFL with the Vegas Vipers.
But, Stepp said, Harbor has an added asset.
“Martavis was a big kid and ran really well,” Stepp said. “But Nyck Harbor has another gear — and we haven’t had anybody here that has had that gear. He is going to be a weapon.
“He is a great kid who works hard, smart, and is up there all the time and getting in extra work.”
Harbor is expected to play right away and has a chance to make an immediate impact for USC’s receiving corps alongside the likes of Juice Wells, Xavier Legette and others.
He already has signed NIL deals with Beats by Dre and Ovation for Men Sport fragrance.
On the track, Harbor recorded times of 6.64 seconds in the 60 meters, 10.22 in the 100m, and 20.63 in the 200m. He won the East Coast International Showcase back in May.
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Nyck Harbor draws a comparison to former Clemson and NFL receiver, with one caveat."
