Darin Smalls

Redshirt freshman who is expected to battle for playing time in the secondary this spring.

2015: Redshirted as a true freshman… enrolled at Carolina in January… went through the spring with the squad, but did not participate in any team drills as he continued to rehab from a high school knee injury… saw limited practice time in the fall.

2014: Signed with the Gamecocks in the spring, but did not enroll in school while rehabbing his knee injury throughout the fall.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played for legendary coach John McKissick at Summerville (S.C.) High School, graduating in 2014… the Green Wave went 11-3 and reached the state semifinals in his senior season… suffered a knee injury in his final campaign… logged 60 tackles and intercepted six passes as a sophomore, returning two for touchdowns… also competed in baseball and track… Rivals considered him a three-star prospect, the 11th-best player in the state and the 37th-best cornerback in the country… Scout rated him as a three-star prospect and the 53rd-best cornerback in the country… considered a three-star prospect, the 15th-best player in the state, and the 37th-best safety in the nation, according to 247Sports… ESPN considered him a three-star prospect, the 23rd-best safety in the nation and the 14th-best player in the state… ranked by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an All-Atlantic Region pick… had more than a dozen major college offers.

PERSONAL: Darin Smalls is a sport and entertainment management major.