Hotbed of talent

I feel like a lot of people underestimate South Carolina. It’s a lot of talented kids in South Carolina.”

Miami (Ohio) quarterback Aveon Smith of White Knoll High School

Former standout high school football players from Chronicle Country truly left their mark on the 2022 college football regular season.

Their strong play proved instrumental in their team’s success, high rankings and achieving post-season status.

While former Dutch Fork safety Hugh Ryan saw his season end with a second-round appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, his fellow Chronicle Country contemporaries are about to embark into bowl season.

Aveon Smith (White Knoll) 

First out of the gate is former White Knoll quarterback Aveon Smith. He will lead the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks against the University of Alabama-Birmingham in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16 at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN.

For Smith, the game is the culmination of his rise as a key contributor to the Redhawks’ program. The first player in program history to lead the team in both rushing and passing, Smith has come a long way since arriving on campus still hobbled by a torn left ACL suffered during his senior year. 

“It was a grind for me,” said Smith about his early time on campus. “I didn’t feel like I was back last year. But it was good to see glimpse of like, OK, I’m moving a lot better. I’m doing these a lot better, I just had to be more attentive to the things that I wasn’t. Like before, I wouldn’t stretch before practice or roll out and go to the training room. And this was always me like through high school, my first year and all that. 

“I was like, ‘I tore my ACL I’ve got to be more careful, just the simple fact I’ve got to go two times harder.’ So, I just started taking notice and just do more for my body and, later, I’d say probably spring ball of 2022, was when I really saw that, ‘OK, I might be back.’ I was running a lot better, moving a lot better. So just felt more comfortable in my own skin.”

After having, in Smith’s words, a “rocky start” being inactive his first two years, he was thrust into the spotlight early. An injury in the season opener against Kentucky sidelined starter Brett Gabbert and opened the door for Smith to take the job.

The following week, he threw three touchdowns in his first game as a starter to lead the Redhawks to a 31-14 win over Robert Morris.

Smith played in eight more games, including the final two wins of the season to clinch the bowl berth. He threw for 185 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 105 yards and two scores in the 29-23 victory over Northern Illinois and followed that performance with 217 yards, including the game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass, in the 18-17 win over Ball State to clinch the bowl berth. 

This marks the second straight year a former White Knoll player is in the national spotlight. Former teammate Nick Taiste was a starting offensive lineman for the South Carolina State football team which routed Jackson State 31-10 in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. 

Smith credited former head coach Dean Howell for drawing attention from colleges for both he and Taiste as he believed both players were “underestimated”. 

“Once the first ones started coming in, they all started rolling in,” Smith said. “Coach Howell played a really big role in that. Me and Nick really, really, really worked hard to get in the position that we are today.” 

Nick Emmanwari (Irmo)

Smith is not the only former Chronicle Country player getting national exposure on ESPN. On Dec. 30, the town of Irmo will see three of its former All-State players in action for their respective teams. 

The University of South Carolina will face Notre Dame in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., at 3:30 p.m. Looking to help the Gamecocks win their second straight bowl game for head coach Shane Beamer is former Irmo High School safety Nick Emmanwori.

On Dec. 8, Emmanwori was named to the SEC Coaches’ All-Freshman Team. He started 11 games and had a team-high 78 tackles, including a league-high 59 solo tackles. 

He also had two quarterback hurries, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. The latter took place in the 31-30 victory over archrival Clemson. 

Senior offensive lineman Hank Manos of Chapin is also expected to see action at center for South Carolina.

Dutch Fork's Jalin Hyatt to turn pro

At 8 p.m., Tennessee and Clemson  face each other in the Capital One Citrus Bowl.

It was originally set up to be a matchup with former Dutch Fork wide receivers on both sides with Jalin Hyatt with the Volunteers and Antonio Williams with the Tigers.

On Dec. 14, Hyatt announced through Twitter he was forgoing the bowl game in order to prepare for the NFL draft. 

In the announcement, Hyatt thanked his teammates, coaches and parents for their support.

"Though I will not be playing in the Orange Bowl, I will be there in Miami to support my teammates like I always have," Hyatt tweeted. " I have tried to the best of my ability honor those who have come before me and pay it forward for those who will come after. That Volunteer spirit will main with me forever as I pursue a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL."

The same day Emmanwori was honored by the SEC, Hyatt was named the winner of the Fred Bilentnikoff Award at the Home Depot College Football Awards. 

The former multi-state champion with the Silver Foxes beat out Marvin Harrison Jr of Ohio State and Xavier Hutchinson of Iowa State for the award, named after the former College and NFL Hall of Famer and presented by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation to the top receiver in the Football Bowl Subdivision. 

Hyatt, who was also named Wide Receiver of the Year by the College Football Network, ranks fourth among FBS players with 1,267 receiving yards and is tied for first in touchdowns with 15. He is third among FBS players and leads all Power Five players with 105.6 receiving yards per game. 

His 18.9 yards per reception ranks second among FBS players with more than 850 receiving yards. Among the 296 FBS players targeted at least 50 times, Hyatt ranks first with an average of 14.2 yards per target. He leads all FBS players with eleven 40-plus-yard receptions. Hyatt has already earned 1st-team All-America by CBSSports/247Sports, The Athletic, College Football Network, and Bleacher Report. 

Hyatt will be formally presented with the trophy at the 29th annual Biletnikoff Award celebration in Tallahassee in the spring. 

“I feel like a lot of people underestimate South Carolina,” said Smith referring to in-state talent. “It’s a lot of talented kids in South Carolina.”