Jalen Brooks still remembers the first time it truly clicked for him.

It was during spring where the transfer, now entering his second season and first full offseason at South Carolina looked around and felt things all come together.

“I was with set coaches and now I can build from literally the bottom to the top,” he said. “That builds a lot of confidence in you, the players around you and the coaches. It’s just love. Being around that in the spring gave me that click.”

Over the past year the reset button was hit multiple times on Brooks’ football career: resetting to a new school at South Carolina, having to fight through eligibility issues, resetting with a new head and position coach and resetting moving from one outside receiver spot to another.

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In a whirlwind 12 months for the former Wingate and Tarleton State receiver, it was hard for him to even feel like himself sometimes.

Brooks, whose immediate eligibility request was denied by the NCAA multiple times before being granted in week five last year, spent the first four weeks of the season waiting for word and the other six just trying to stay afloat.

“After the games, sometimes I would feel numb. I would feel like I’d be out there just to be out there,” Brook said. “I didn’t feel like I was truly playing in a game. I mentioned before I wasn’t in the best headspace, but that’s no excuse for not having the production I was meant to have.”

But with his struggles, SEC football continues to motor on and doesn’t have much sympathy for players trying to find their footing.

He ended what was an up and down season with 11 catches for 100 yards, no touchdowns in four starts and had a handful of drops to cap that rollercoaster season.

“When I say that was probably one of the toughest times ever, that was one of the toughest times ever. But you’re in Division I football so it doesn’t stop,” he said. “Just cause you can’t play doesn’t mean you can stop. So I was always taught to come in with a good attitude with a smile on my face.”

But things started to turn in the spring, once settled under new head coach Shane Beamer and receivers coach Justin Stepp and the tide began turning for Brooks in the Gamecocks’ new offense.

He transitioned to the other outside receiver spot and ingratiated himself into the offense to make sure he could earn as much playing time as possible entering his senior season.

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“Even when I got eligible last year I just didn’t feel comfortable. I didn’t feel too good about the progress I made last year. I’m just happy,” Brooks said. “I’m correcting those things through practice, through the spring, through the summer with workouts, working with the QBs and being on the same page.”

Now it’ll be up to Brooks and some of the rest of the receivers to step up and someone take the mantle as the team’s No. 1 option.

There are plenty to choose from—Brooks, OrTre Smith, Dakereon Joyner, Josh Vann, Xavier Legette have all started multiple games at South Carolina—but Brooks feels like he’s “back in my element” with his eligibility, and concrete playing time, all but in the cards.

“Making plays, being very consistent, doing all the right things and feeling more confident about yourself. A big thing last year was not knowing if I was going to be able to play this game or the next game,” he said. “You start doubting. I didn’t know what in the world was about to happen. Now I know it’s guaranteed. It’s more of a confidence thing.”

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