COLUMBIA — Soon after they arrived on campus for summer workouts, South Carolina football freshmen Nyckoles Harbor and LaNorris Sellers started training together.

A week into preseason, the pair have spent hours outside of practice developing their on-field rapport, along with a strong friendship. Although both know they're not likely to get many in-game connections in 2023, building a relationship early was a priority in preparing for life after Spencer Rattler and Juice Wells.

"That's the future. That's going to be us next year," Harbor said. "Why not get me and him going early so we don't have to do this next year? We can have that chemistry established so we're ready for when next year hits, and we can take off from there."

Harbor and Sellers are two of the Gamecocks' most anticipated prospects in years, headlining the program's highest-rated recruiting class since 2012. Harbor, a five-star athlete, is the first five-star signee under coach Shane Beamer, and South Carolina beat out Oregon, Maryland and Michigan to land the dual-sport star. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder also was one of the top track and field recruits in the nation and will compete as a short sprinter for the Gamecocks.

South Carolina was late to recruit Sellers, the former star quarterback at South Florence High School. The 6-3, 245-pounder committed to Syracuse in March 2022 but flipped to the Gamecocks in December, just two months after they initially offered him. One of Sellers' first connections in the 2023 class was with freshman linebacker Grayson Howard — who also happens to be Harbor's roommate.

"I talked to (Harbor) for the first time while (South Carolina) was recruiting me in December, but we didn't really know each other," Sellers said. "Once he got to campus . . . when I'd be talking to Grayson, Nyck was there and ultimately with me playing quarterback and him playing receiver, we just got to talking all the time . . . We come out here and throw and stuff. It's like a trio with me, him and Grayson."

Neither Harbor nor Sellers is projected to be a major contributor in their first season. Rattler is locked in as the starting quarterback with senior Luke Doty as the presumed No. 2, though offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has suggested Sellers could contend for the backup spot.

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At wide receiver, Harbor enters arguably the deepest position group on the roster. Wells led the team in receiving yards (928) last season, and fifth-year players Xavier Legette and Ahmarean Brown are back. All are better established with Rattler, so the incoming five-star may be more of a situational piece.

Harbor isn't bothered by starting out with a limited role. Both he and Sellers know their best chance to fulfill their biggest goals is to spend this season setting themselves up for the years to come.

"You've got to have high expectations, but not too high, because that's when you kill your confidence. I just say let me grow," Harbor said. "(Sellers) is going to put the ball where it needs to be, and I tell him, 'I just need to make you look great. Put the ball anywhere in my range and I'm gonna go get it for you.' We're just finding our sweet spot, tweaking things and critiquing things. We'll get there."

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football's top 2023 freshmen ready to be the future