Former Gamecock Deebo Samuel Returning To 2021 Form For 49ers

South Carolina Football legend Deebo Samuel has dealt with a lot over the past season and a half but has reemerged as San Francisco's star playmaker.

When South Carolina Football fans think of some of the best players to ever dawn the garnet and black threads for the Gamecocks, one of the first players that comes to mind is Deebo Samuel. Samuel was an electrifying do-it-all star during his time in Columbia, defeating his opponent in various ways like a conventional passing game, a simple jet touch pass, or a kickoff return.

That versatility hasn't left him since he moved onto the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, and it led to him exploding onto the scene in 2021, as Deebo racked up 1,770 all-purpose yards and scored 14 total touchdowns, propelling him to a First-team All-Pro nod and his team to the NFC Championship Game. Last year, however, was a tumultuous year for Samuel, as after around a half-year-long contract dispute with the 49ers' front office, the then-fourth-year wideout's 2022 season was riddled with injuries, causing his overall stats to plummet.

After a solid start to the 2023 season, Deebo didn't record a single catch on four different occasions between weeks four and eight and missed two games entirely due to an injury. San Francisco lost three of those four games. However, Samuel seems to be back to his old self again if the past month is any indication, as in the past four games, the 49ers star has accumulated 21 catches for 407 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns; he's also racked up nine carries for 37 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Unsurprisingly, the 49ers have won every one of those games, including one over a 10-win Philadelphia Eagles squad and two wins over a divisional foe in the Seattle Seahawks.

Deebo Samuel scampering into the endzone vs. the Seattle Seahawks (10th Dec., 2023) / Cary Edmondson | USA Today Network

Although the competition in the NFC is stiff with just four weeks to go in the NFL's regular season, there's a feeling amongst those who pay close attention to the sport that the 49ers are the team to beat in the conference. If they make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019, Deebo will likely be a big reason why.

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