INMAN, S.C. —
On a Thursday night in Orlando, a Central Florida wide receiver with deep Upstate South Carolina roots delivered the play of his life.
DJ Black, a former Chapman High School standout and Limestone University transfer, hauled in the game-winning touchdown pass in UCF’s victory, finishing with three receptions for 59 yards and the decisive score.
“It was a great play call by Coach Frost, and the offensive line held up really well,” Black said. “Tayven threw me a great ball and it just landed right in my pocket.”
The catch highlighted a winding journey for Black, who starred at Chapman in Inman before a stop at South Carolina and later Limestone. When Limestone shut down its football program, Black had already transferred to UCF, where a new opportunity awaited.
“We make sure that no matter what happens we can bounce back from it and keep making plays,” Black said.
At Chapman, Black blossomed into one of South Carolina’s top high school receivers. As a senior, he caught 79 passes for 1,445 yards and 19 touchdowns. In a single game against Woodruff, he broke Deebo Samuel’s school record with 270 receiving yards on 12 catches, five of them touchdowns. He earned a spot in the Shrine Bowl, then claimed Offensive MVP honors at the Touchstone Energy Bowl after catching a 29-yard, game-tying touchdown.
“Switching him to wide receiver was the best thing we did,” Chapman coach Harry Cabaniss said. “He grew four or five inches from his sophomore to junior year, and you could really trust him. I can’t tell you how many times I came over the headset and said, ‘Just throw it to DJ, man.’”
Cabaniss, who still keeps in touch with his former player, wasn’t surprised to see Black come through on a national stage. “It didn’t surprise me at all seeing that catch,” he said. “He’s always put his head down every single day. He’s always known it takes work. He really developed at Limestone and blew up from there.”
When Limestone announced it would shut down its program, Black had already transferred. “DJ was ahead of the closing a little bit and transferred over Christmas break — maybe it was just the good Lord watching out for him,” Cabaniss said. “People don’t understand that with the portal, college coaches still go back to high school coaches. I heard from so many during that time and because of how mature DJ was, it all took care of itself.”
Beyond the field, Cabaniss said Black has always been the same down to earth kid he coached in Inman. “He’s the type of guy who showed up to my 4-year-old’s birthday party,” he said. “That’s the kind of person he is.”
For Black, Thursday night’s touchdown was a national breakthrough moment. But in Inman and across the Upstate, it was also a reminder of how far one of their own has come. Now at UCF, Black is proving he belongs on the biggest stage — with a touchdown that may be only the beginning.
