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Damiere Byrd

Class: Junior Hometown: Sicklerville, N.J. High School: Timber Creek

Height / Weight: 5-9 / 166 Position: WR Experience: 2 VL

The fastest players on the team, will provide a deep threat again in 2013... will begin the fall competing with Shaq Roland for a starting role... could also be in the mix for kickoff return duties... has made five career starts while playing in 22 games in his first two seasons... has caught 15 passes for 382 yards, a 25.5 yard average with three scores... also competes on the Carolina indoor men's track team in the sprint events... best times in 2013 were 6.66 in the 60-meter dash, 21.41 in the 200 and 47.91 in the 400 meters... missed most of the spring while nursing a hamstring injury.

2012: Speedy wide receiver who played in all 13 games, making a pair of starts... caught 14 passes for 366 yards, a gaudy 26.1-yard average, with three scores... had four receptions of more than 40 yards... also returned two kickoffs for 22 yards and rushed four times for -2 yards... caught two passes for 81 yards in the home opener against East Carolina, including a 53-yard reception... connected with Dylan Thompson on a 94-yard scoring strike against UAB... it was the fourth-longest pass in school history, tied for the second longest in FBS play in 2012, and was his first career TD reception... caught a 30-yard scoring strike in the win at Kentucky... had a career-high three catches for 26 yards against Missouri... made his first start of the season and set the tone early in the Georgia game with a 42-yard reception on the second play from scrimmage... also made the start at LSU... did not log a reception in the season's final five regular games... bounced back with two catches for 63 yards in the Outback Bowl win over Michigan, including a 56-yard scoring play on the third play from scrimmage... named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team... a member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll... named the Most Improved Wide Receiver in the spring... also competed on the South Carolina men's track team as a sprinter... top time in the 60m dash was 6.71 seconds... placed sixth at the 2012 SEC indoor championships in that event.

2011: True freshman who played in nine games, starting three... sat out the first four games due to an NCAA eligibility issue... caught just one pass for 16 yards, but carried the ball 10 times for 73 yards and had one kickoff return for 24 yards... started the first game in which he appeared against Auburn... had his first career rush (two yards) in that game...caught his only pass for 16 yards vs. Kentucky... also set a career long with a 21-yard run on a flanker sweep against the Wildcats...had a 10-yard carry against Mississippi State... rushed twice for 15 yards at Tennessee... earned his second start at Arkansas... lone kickoff return came against The Citadel... rushed three times for 19 yards as a starter in the win over rival Clemson.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Timber Creek Regional High in Erial, N.J. in 2011... coached by Robert Hinson... logged more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage as a senior... played in the NUC All-World Bowl in Charleston, S.C., where he caught five passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns, earning offensive MVP honors... as a junior for the Chargers, caught 38 passes for 605 yards and four touchdowns, carried the ball 78 times for 685 yards and eight more scores, and added two punt returns for TDs, earning first-team all-conference and Group III and second-team All-South Jersey... a prep track standout who clocked a 10.42 100-meters, a 21.90 200-meters, and a 47.88 400-meters... won the state indoor 55-meter title as a sophomore in 6.39 seconds... traveled to Japan in February 2011 to compete for the United States... rated a four-star prospect, the sixth-best player in New Jersey, the 19th-best wide receiver in the country and ranked as the 186th-best player in the country by Rivals.com... regarded as a four-star prospect, the 132nd-best player in the country and the 18th-best wide receiver by Scout.com... four-star prospect, the fourth-best player in New Jersey and the 24th-best wide receiver in the nation, according to 247Sports.com... considered a PrepStar All-American... selected South Carolina over Iowa, Ole Miss and Florida.

PERSONAL: Damiere Byrd is a sport and entertainment management major.