South Carolina Football: 3 most underrated players entering 2020 season

There may be no defensive player more underrated in the entire nation, let alone on South Carolina’s roster than 6-foot-4 cornerback Israel Mukuamu.

Mukuamu began his college career at South Carolina in 2018 and played in all 13 games as a freshman recording 17 total tackles with two tackles for a loss, and one interception, pass breakup and a forced fumble.

In 2019, Mukuamu broke out in a big way as he earned second-team All-SEC honors after he recorded 59 tackles, a team-high four interceptions, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

Mukuamu put together perhaps the most dominant single-game performance by a corner in all of college football during the Gamecocks upset win over Georgia in Athens as he grabbed three interceptions, returned one for a 53-yard touchdown and recorded 11 total tackles to win national defensive player of the week honors.

Still, he enters 2020 left off Athlon’s preseason All-SEC preseason teams and not thought of by many as one of the nation’s elite corners.

While he’s not getting much love from the college football media, he is a projected first-round draft pick in many early 2021 mocks.