When it comes to NFL Next Gen stats, it was a pretty unremarkable year for former South Carolina football players. There are seven “top play stats” that rank the top 20 plays in each of those stats over the course of a given season. In 18 weeks of NFL action, only one former Gamecocks football player finished on one of the lists.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who had a tough year with the San Francisco 49ers due to both injuries and drops, did have a highlight reel play in Week 8 of the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks.

Samuel had a 76-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Brock Purdy, which was featured in the “Incredible YAC” (yards after catch) category on Next Gen Stats as the 17th-best play in the NFL from that standpoint this year. Here’s a look at the play:

Here’s a description of the “Incredible YAC” stat: Receiver X catches the ball with no defenders near him and gets 10 yards after the catch. Receiver Y catches the ball in tight coverage, breaks a tackle and gains 5 yards after the catch. What’s more incredible? Expected Yards After Catch (xYAC) is a new stat that Next Generation Stats (aka Next Gen Stats) has created to explain that. We are able to predict the expected yards after catch an average receiver should gain on each reception by surveying the Next Generation Stats (aka Next Gen Stats) tracking data the moment the ball reaches the receiver. The machine learning model takes into account numerous metrics such as receiver speed, separation, defender location, and more. This section highlights the plays each week that most beat their expectations.

Samuel and his San Francisco team will not make the playoffs this year. He played in 15 of his team’s 18 games this season and caught 51 passes among 81 targets for 670 yards and only three touchdowns. He also had 42 carries for just 136 yards and one score. Samuel went over 100 yards twice this season, which happened in his first five games played.