South Carolina Gamecocks football Eric Shaw to play tight end, not outside linebacker Reeltown High School Will Muschamp

So when he watches Eric Shaw, he sees traits in his game that would make the three-star athlete a really good linebacker, but the plan right now is to keep him on the offensive side of the football.

“I believe Eric can play on either side of the ball,” Muschamp said on national signing day. “He’s a really good football player with great length and flexibility. He has natural pass rush ability for an outside backer, defensive end type. He catches the ball well and can stretch the field vertically in the middle. He’s going to be a mismatch, I think, speed wise.”

Also see: What we learned from Saturday's loss

Shaw officially signed with the Gamecocks last month to start the early signing period after picking the Gamecocks over a handful of SEC schools that included Auburn, Tennessee and Florida.

In his senior season at Reeltown (Ala.) Shaw played on both sides of the ball as a tight end or H-back offensively then as an outside linebacker defensively.

He’d pick up Defensive Player of the Year honors from the Opelika-Auburn news after piling up 132 tackles this year with six forced fumbles and three interceptions.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder also had some explosive plays offensively and on special teams, returning a kick for 90 yards in the state championship game, and Shaw wants to focus on playing on offense once he arrives on campus this summer.

“He wants to play tight end and that’s where we’re going to play him,” Muschamp said. “You look at the Alabama-Mississippi all-star game and I think he had two sacks. He had a critical sack with Mississippi coming in on a critical third down.”

Also see: The latest on Ger-Cari Caldwell

Shaw is part of a 17-man group that signed with the Gamecocks in December, officially beginning their careers with South Carolina.

While 10 of those 17 moved in this week, Shaw is finishing up his senior year at Reeltown before getting to campus sometime in May or June for summer workouts.

In the meantime he’s playing basketball in the spring.

The Gamecock coaching staff loves his frame and thinks he has the chance to get even bigger as he gets to campus and in the weight room.

“He has to continue to get bigger, and he will. He’s playing basketball right now. I don’t know how much bigger he’ll get as far as weight’s concerned but he’s a real good athlete and a guy we’re excited about. We’ll see how his body grows and takes and go from there. We’ll play him at tight end.”

He’s one of two tight ends signed in the 2020 class with Jaheim Bell the other. Bell committed to South Carolina at the start of National Signing Day.