Zacch Pickens won’t play for South Carolina in Gator Bowl as he prepares for NFL

South Carolina defensive lineman Zacch Pickens is going pro.

Pickens, a former five-star recruit and anchor for the Gamecocks defensive line this year, told reporters Monday that he intends to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.

He will not play in the Gator Bowl against No. 21 Notre Dame.

“Nah, I’m not playing no bowl game,” he said. “They can have the bowl game.”

Pickens spoke to reporters Monday as part of a ring ceremony and photo opportunity at Williams-Brice Stadium for December student-athlete graduates.

The former TL Hanna standout was the third-highest-rated recruit to ever sign with the Gamecocks, per 247Sports, trailing only Jadeveon Clowney and Marcus Lattimore.

Pickens has appeared in all 47 games of his Gamecocks career over the last four years, recording 131 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss 7.5 sacks and four passes defended.

He earned an invite to the Senior Bowl for his efforts.

“There’s a lot of ups and downs and finally came out with a positive memory (beating Clemson),” Pickens said while reflecting on his South Carolina career. “At first it was a little shaky but we ended up taking the (wins). ... I came here and we were 4-8 and I left here at 8-4. That’s a big step for us.”

The Anderson product considered entering the NFL Draft after last season, but returned for one more year at South Carolina. Despite playing all four years, Pickens could’ve played one more season due to the blanket COVID-19 waiver that allowed the 2020 season to not to count toward a players’ eligibility.

Pickens is the first South Carolina player to announce publicly that he will not play in the bowl game, but the expectation is cornerback Cam Smith also won’t suit up after signing with an agent.

Notre Dame has had its share of opt-outs as well. Fighting Irish star tight end Michael Mayer and standout defensive end Isaiah Foskey announced they won’t play in the game as they prepare for NFL careers.

Quarterback Drew Pyne, who spent the bulk of this year as Notre Dame’s starter in place of the injured Tyler Buchner, announced he’s entering the transfer portal and will not play either.

— The State’s Jeremiah Holloway contributed to this story.