South Carolina cornerback Vic Hampton confirmed that he intends to leave college a year early and enter the NFL draft next spring, according to gogamecocks.com.
Hampton was the Gamecocks' top man-to-man defender in the secondary this season, overcoming a concussion and a suspension early in the season to play exceptionally well over the second half of the season. Hampton has a physical build at 5-10, 202 pounds, and excels at jamming receivers off the line of scrimmage and playing bump coverage.
He led the team in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (9) in the regular season. Hampton made four solo tackles, one for a loss, in a 31-17 win over rival Clemson Saturday. He joins another SEC East cornerback, Loucheiz Purifoy of Florida, who reportedly has made the same decision.
Hampton is one of at least three South Carolina underclassmen who are expected to turn pro early, along with defensive linemen Kelcy Quarles and Jadeveon Clowney. All three participated in the Senior Day ceremony Saturday, a strong indication of their intentions.
Underclassmen have until a Jan. 15 deadline to decide whether to declare early eligibility for the draft.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
