Zack

Bailey

“His ability to block in space and play under control is cancelled out by his lack of play strength and the losses he incurs at the point of attack,” Zierliein writes of the 6-foot-5, 299-pound Bailey. The analyst refers to the South Carolina product as an “okay” pass-protector (problematic, that). Bailey does offer the ability to play multiple positions along the line, which certainly helps his stock, but he is not going to be coming off the board until the late rounds in April, if he comes off the board at all.

Bailey accepted the invitation before suffering a leg injury that required him to be carted off the field on December 1 against Akron. He’s considered a versatile player because he’s played both inside and outside for the Gamecocks, but we’ll have to see if he’s available to play in this game or the East-West Shrine game; as he’s accepted invites to both.

Bailey remained down on the field after suffering the injury, with trainers applying an air cast to his left leg before having the lineman taken off via cart. While South Carolina still has a bowl game to play, for the senior offensive lineman there’s also doubt regarding his availability for the East-West Shrine Game in January as a result of this injury.

Bailey has played both inside and out on the line for the Gamecocks, playing at guard in his sophomore and senior seasons but also playing right tackle as a junior. He’s started 45 games in his time with South Carolina, so his experience and versatility will be something scouts will definitely be looking at during the games and practices in January.

His first day at his new post will be on Saturday, when the Gamecocks kick off spring practices. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Bailey is considered USC’s best offensive lineman, and HC Will Muschamp believes he has the athleticism to play on the outside. “Zach is a good enough athlete to play on the edge,” Muschamp said. “We felt that way. We felt he would handle the move the best. It’s all about finding the best guys to go out there and play well.”