In the recruiting season of 2022, USC and Clemson passed on speedy receiver Jayden McGowan (5-8 181) of Laurens fearing his size would be too much for him to overcome in the SEC or ACC. Two years and 80 receptions later, the Gamecocks are not passing on the chance to recruit the former Vanderbilt receiver who entered the Transfer Portal on Monday.
Receivers coach Justin Stepp wasted little time offering McGowan and getting him lined up for an official visit this coming weekend.
“About 7:00 AM this morning (Monday), my name was officially in the Portal,” McGowan said. “Maybe 25-30 minutes later, coach Stepp called me, and he basically offered me. I talked to coach (Riley) Watkins (offensive assistant for QBs &WRs) too. He was telling me that I’m everything that they need, and they want me to come back home, and we can just build the program back up.”
Stepp also laid out some plans for McGowans in the Gamecock offense.
“They said I’m going to be in the slot, but he said I’m going to be used multiple ways,” McGowan said. “I can see myself moving around going outside, into the backfield, things like that.”
McGowans tried to earn an offer from Stepp in the summer of 2021. He went to a camp and ran a forty, but he pulled a hamstring and that put him on the shelf for the rest of camp and he never got the chance to run routes and catch passes for the coaches.
“It means a lot,” he said of the offer. “I feel like this offer holds some importance to me because it’s a school that I’ve watched all my life and wanted to go to my whole life. Now, I’m finally getting the opportunity. Whether I decide to go there or not, it’s still a blessing to get that offer.”
McGowan was a standout from the beginning at Vanderbilt. Despite playing in a program that lacked the number of quality athletes needed to compete in the SEC, he caught 80 passes for 836 yards and three touchdowns in his two seasons in Nashville.
“I feel like there’s a lot more for me to show,” McGowan said. “I’m proud of my ability and I feel I can show more on film and even on the stat sheet. I just want to keep doing that in the future.”
McGowan will visit USC this weekend with members of his family in tow. He wants to enjoy the weekend visiting with Stepp, Shane Beamer and other coaches, but he’s also on a business trip to determine if Columbia is the correct next move for him.
“I want to experience the culture around the team in general,” McGown said. “But this time around, now that I’m older and in the Transfer Portal and I’ll only have a few weeks to decide where I want to go to, I’m going to have a lot more questions to ask. I want to see the plan for how they want to use me and if it’s the best fit for me, and if it’s the smartest decision to make.”
One crucial piece of information McGowan will seek out is what the receivers’ room at USC would look like with him in it.
“That is crucial,” he said. “I’ve been doing some research on teams and seeing which guys are declaring for the Draft, which guys are transferring, and which guys are staying, and if I think I can beat them out for the spot,” McGowans said. “I really want to go somewhere I might be a day one starter, just pick up from where I left off at Vandy and do even better at this school.”
Indiana also offered McGowan Monday, and he said there are other schools on the verge of offering. He plans to take another official visit next weekend, but he hasn’t decided on where. Then, he’ll take a few days after that to make his final decision.