From coast to coast, it’s an absolutely loaded cycle for pass catchers. That has Staley flying a bit under the radar, which probably shouldn’t be the case. He dominated 1-on-1s and caught more balls than anyone else when South Carolina went 11-on-11 to close out practice.
Staley might not be the biggest target (he’s probably right under 6-foot), but he’s quick-footed and can attack leverage with his long speed. He also tracks the football better than most and made a pair of nice snags over his shoulder. Staley, who captured gold medals this past spring in both the 200-meter dash and the triple jump, is coming off a senior campaign at Strom Thurmond where he caught 69 passes for 1,116 yards and 14 touchdowns.
South Carolina assistant Justin Stepp went in-home with Staley last week, but he indicated on Monday that he plans to sign with the Volunteers and participate in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl practices next week. He looks like someone that could handle a high volume of targets in Josh Heupel’s offense and create explosive plays much like Squirrel White currently does.