Former area standouts make most of bowl opportunities

A new college football season was ushered in with the nation being introduced to a freshman receiver from Conway, showcasing the promise that has South Carolina fans excited for what the next few years have in store.

In much the same fashion, the Grand Strand had its own touch on the end of the same gridiron campaign, with one of its own catching the final pass of the season — one delivering Clemson a national title.

Former Socastee standout Hunter Renfrow put a bow on a productive postseason, catching 10 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 35-31 win over Alabama in the national championship game. This performance comes on the heels of another solid one in the Fiesta Bowl, in which he had five receptions for 50 yards in a 31-0 win over Ohio State.

For the season, Renfrow caught 44 passes for 495 yards and six touchdowns.

South Carolina wideout Bryan Edwards ended his freshman campaign with a flourish, catching six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in the Gamecocks’ 46-39 overtime loss to South Florida in the Birmingham Bowl. The Conway alum finished the season with 44 catches for 590 yards and four touchdowns.

As a result of a solid first year in Columbia, he was named a first team All-SEC Freshman performer by Athlon Sports.

Also making his bowl debut was former Carvers Bay standout Naquez Pringle. The Kentucky defensive lineman had four solo tackles and two assists in the Wildcats’ 33-18 loss to Georgia Tech in the Taxslayer Bowl.

He played in 12 games this past season, starting in five of them. Pringle notched 39 total tackles and a sack.

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Former area standouts make most of bowl opportunities."