South Carolina football DL Zacch Pickens will skip Gator Bowl, declare for 2023 NFL Draft
COLUMBIA — South Carolina defensive lineman Zacch Pickens confirmed Monday that he plans to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft and will skip the Gator Bowl.
Pickens is the second Gamecocks player to announce his intention to declare for the draft, joining redshirt junior defensive back Cam Smith. Smith has not officially announced plans for the Gator Bowl but is not expected to play after signing with an agent.
Pickens, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound senior, is widely projected as a mid-round draft pick and received an invitation to this year's Senior Bowl. He finishes his South Carolina career with 131 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Pickens started in all 12 games this season, logging a career-best 42 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
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Pickens, an Anderson, South Carolina native, was a five-star prospect out T.L. Hanna High in the class of 2019. He was one of the highest-rated recruits ever to sign with the Gamecocks behind only Jadeveon Clowney and Marcus Lattimore. Both went on to compete in NFL: Clowney still plays for the Cleveland Browns and Lattimore spent two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring from football in 2014.
Senior wide receiver Josh Vann also is considered likely to declare for the draft but said he has not made an official decision. He plans to play in the Gator Bowl if he is cleared from a left knee sprain sustained in South Carolina's win over Clemson on Nov. 28.
No. 19 South Carolina (8-4) will conclude the 2022 season against No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4) in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 31 (3:30 p.m., ESPN) at the Jacksonville Jaguars' TIAA Bank Stadium. A victory would make coach Shane Beamer the first coach in Gamecocks history to win bowl games in each of his first two seasons.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Zacch Pickens to declare for NFL Draft, skip South Carolina bowl game
