Call him a tight end. Call him an H-back. Just call him a playmaker.

However you want to describe Jaheim Bell's position, South Carolina has made a more concerted effort to get its do-it-all tight end the football more in recent weeks and the sophomore has responded, emerging as one of the Gamecocks' best playmakers on offense.

In South Carolina's last two games combined, Bell has collected 10 receptions for 179 yards, more of each than the first five games combined, and a touchdown.

That touchdown, an 82-yard catch and run this past week against Vanderbilt, was a perfect display of all of Bell's gifts all at once.

The explosiveness to get open in the first place and hands to make the catch, the strength and balance to stiff arm the Vandy defender to the ground as he attempted to make the tackle, and the speed to run away from the other defenders for the longest touchdown play of the Gamecocks.

"He's special," offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said Wednesday. "You can see it when he touches the ball any time he's different than anybody on the field and just his size, athletic ability, his ball skills, his vision as a runner, his balance. It's everything. He's such a great athlete, a great football player."

The Gamecocks have lined up Bell and used him in a number of different ways.

At 6-foot-3, 230-pounds Bell has lined up flexed out in the slot, attached to the line, and in the backfield. This past Saturday against Vanderbilt, he added kickoff returner to his resume.

Regardless of if they throw it to him, hand it to him, or use him as a blocker out front, the Gamecocks have become determined to keep No. 0 heavily involved in the game plan for the last two weeks and that will continue moving forward.

"We've just made a conscious effort, we're not going to come out of a game with him touching the ball three times," Satterfield said. "He has to touch the ball. And when he does touch the ball, whether it's blocked right or not, he usually gets at least a yard. We just have to keep finding ways and being creative getting him the ball, getting the ball in space, whether it be running the ball, direct handoffs, jet sweeps, passes, whatever it is, he has to touch the ball in order for us to have some success on offense."

So far this season, Bell has 16 catches for 281 yards and a touchdown on the year along with two carries for 16 yards and a kickoff return for 22 yards.

Bell's teammate, senior defensive back Jaylan Foster, faces the big-bodied athlete in practice every week and has a feel for what Carolina's opponents have to deal with.

"He's a dog," Foster told Gamecock Central earlier this week. "I'll use that to describe him. He's a dog. He's a guy who can do it all. He can be in the backfield running the ball, he can catch, he can block. He returned kicks this past Saturday. When he gets on the field, he loves to compete. He's determined not to get tackled. He's determined to beat the man in front of him and I love that about him."

As do South Carolina's coaches and fans who have watched Bell come into his own this season.

As for his actual position, Bell is unconcerned.

"I consider myself as a playmaker," he told Gamecock Central last week. "They can put me anywhere, I'm going to ball."

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