Former South Carolina Gamecocks Standout Gets Dumped by NFL Team

Former South Carolina wide receiver Dalevon Campbell is a free agent again after the Los Angeles Chargers waived him from injured reserve Wednesday with an injury settlement, via the NFL transaction log.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver suffered a leg injury in late August and was unable to put weight on it after leaving practice. The Chargers waived him injured on Aug. 30 during final roster cuts.

He cleared waivers, reverted to injured reserve, and was released from IR on Sept. 9. Once healthy, he can sign with any team.

For Gamecocks fans who watched Campbell’s one season in Columbia, the news is a familiar chapter in a long, winding NFL path.

Campbell transferred to South Carolina for 2024 after stops at Illinois and Nevada. In 13 games with four starts, he caught 12 passes for 312 yards — a team-best 26.0 yards per reception — and added a 60-yard score in the bowl game against Illinois.

That big-play ability, plus his size and 4.40-speed at pro day, earned him a Chargers tryout after going undrafted in 2025. He signed as an undrafted free agent.

Campbell made the most of the first look. He led the Chargers in the 2025 preseason with eight receptions for 147 yards, including a standout four-catch, 73-yard game against San Francisco. Los Angeles still waived him at the 53-man cut. Carolina claimed him the next day.

He appeared in two regular-season games for the Panthers before a hamstring injury ended that stint. The Chargers brought him back to the practice squad in mid-October, elevated him a few times late in the year, and signed him to a reserve/futures deal in January.

This summer he played in all three preseason games (three catches, 48 yards) before the latest injury. The Chargers’ receiver room is crowded, and a leg issue at cut-down time left little room to keep him.

Campbell’s college career was never high-volume — 88 catches for 1,471 yards and three touchdowns across 60 games — but the Gamecocks stretch showed what he can do when the ball is in the air. At his best he is a vertical and 50-50 threat who can win outside. Special teams will likely decide the next opportunity.

The settlement frees him to rehab and shop himself. For a player who has already bounced between two franchises, cleared waivers, and returned to the same building twice, another chance is not out of reach.

South Carolina fans who remember the deep shots in 2024 will hope the next landing spot gives him a healthy runway.