It’s no secret Georgia will have the difficult task this Saturday of defending a loaded South Carolina passing game in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks’ offense is armed with junior quarterback Jake Bentley, who passed for 250 yards and four touchdowns in South Carolina’s 49-15 season-opening win over Coastal Carolina, and receivers Bryan Edwards, a junior, and sophomore Shi Smith, both of whom had four receptions against the Chanticleers.

Still, the Gamecocks' most game-changing weapon—the remaining third of South Carolina’s starting wide receivers—is Tyshun Samuel, better known as Deebo Samuel.

"He's probably the most underrated player in all of college football,” Kirby Smart declared of Samuel during the Georgia head coach’s opening press conference this week. “I don't know that everybody in the country knows what the SEC knows about Deebo Samuel. I mean, the guy is phenomenal.”

Phenomenal, yet underrated, is an accurate characterization of Samuel, who was nicknamed “Deebo” for the character played by actor Tiny Lister in the movie Friday. Why would such an extraordinary talent be a secret to anyone? Maybe it's because of his chronic absenteeism. Since playing in South Carolina’s season opener of 2015 as a redshirt freshman, Samuel has actually missed more Gamecock games due to injuries (20) than he has appeared in (19).

His latest injury, suffered last season, was a broken fibula in his left leg. Samuel made a triumphant return last Saturday after having not set foot on a gridiron in more than 11 months. Against Coastal Carolina, he made a game-high seven receptions for 56 yards, including a remarkable one-handed touchdown grab. Samuel, who is listed at 6-foot-0 and 210 pounds, also rushed for 11 yards on a single carry and returned two kickoffs for 45 yards.

“[South Carolina has] really big receivers, and they have a lot of speed, especially from what you see from Deebo,” Georgia safety J.R. Reed said. “He is a very big and physical receiver. He is one of the top wideouts in the SEC.”

One of the conference’s top wideouts was underappreciated as a 5-foot-11, 183-pound 2014 prospect. Samuel, a three-star recruit according to Rivals, was not even ranked in the top 200 at his position by some recruiting services, and received only three other offers from Power Five programs. Nevertheless, after arriving at South Carolina, Samuel started routinely displaying flashes of brilliance on the field, injuries and all.

Despite missing 10 combined games in 2015 and 2016 with hamstring issues, Samuel totaled four 100-yard receiving outings during the two campaigns. Early on last season, he was averaging 158 all-purpose yards and five receptions per contest, and had scored a total of six touchdowns in three different ways—until he broke his leg in the third game and was out for the remainder of the year.

“He’s had some trials and tribulations, but I know he’s ready to come back and give it his all,” Georgia defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter said. “We’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game, because he’s a good player.”

An opposing team bringing its “A” game has been easier said than done when Samuel has been healthy for South Carolina. Despite the rash of injuries, he's only seven receptions shy of becoming the 18th Gamecock in history to total 100 catches. In addition, Samuel has averaged nearly eight yards per rush, 33 yards per kickoff return, and been responsible for 17 touchdowns: six receiving, seven rushing, three on kickoff returns, and even one passing—a 33-yard score against Clemson in 2016.

The key for a Georgia victory over South Carolina probably isn't stopping Deebo Samuel—that would be something unprecedented, apart from injuries. In keeping with the cliche, the Dawgs can only hope to contain the Gamecocks’ most lethal weapon.

“They're (South Carolina) going to find ways to get him the ball—through the screen game, return game, handing it to him,” Smart said of Samuel. “He's an electric football player who's extremely powerful, confident, and hard to tackle. He'll be a key guy for us.”