Marcellas Dial Selected by New England in the Sixth Round of the NFL Draft
University of South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial was selected by the New England Patriots with the fourth pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the 180th player taken overall.
Dial, who measured in at 5-11 5/8 and 191 pounds on the Gamecocks’ Pro Day in March, spent three years in Columbia after beginning his collegiate career at Georgia Military Junior College. The Woodruff, S.C. product appeared in 38 games for the Gamecocks making 29 starts. He accounted for 114 tackles, three interceptions and 28 pass breakups during his time in Columbia.
During his senior season of 2023, Dial was credited with 36 tackles and logged a team-high 10 pass breakups. He was selected by the coaches for the Overcoming Adversity Award and was invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis following the season.
Dial’s best game came in the 2022 season when he earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Carolina’s 31-30 win over Clemson. He logged a pair of tackles, intercepted one pass, tied his career high with three pass breakups and allowed just one catch for 11 yards while being targeted 11 times in the contest.
Dial is the latest in a long line of Carolina defensive backs taken in the NFL Draft. He is the 34th Gamecock defensive back selected overall, the fifth in the past four years and the 19th since 2002. Cam Smith (Miami) and Darius Rush (Indianapolis) were selected last year, while Jaycee Horn (Carolina) and Israel Mukuamu (Dallas) were taken in the 2021 draft.
“We’re going to New England!”@DialMarcellas | @Patriots pic.twitter.com/SWtOPfoqz2
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) April 27, 2024
Dial is the first Gamecock taken by the Patriots since running back Kevin Harris was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.
Dial is the third Gamecock selected in the 2024 NFL Draft joining wide receiver Xavier Legette, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 32nd pick in the first round and quarterback Spencer Rattler, who was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round.
