Steelers Invite South Carolina CB Carlins Platel to Rookie Minicamp

The Pittsburgh Steelers have invited former South Carolina cornerback Carlins Platel to rookie minicamp, his agent announced on Tuesday.

Platel also took part as a tryout at the Philadelphia Eagles rookie minicamp last weekend, but was not offered a contract. Platel is the first player invited to the Steelers camp that took part in another rookie minicamp last weekend.

A 6-foot-1, 205-pound cornerback from Everett, Massachusetts, Platel got his college career started at Division II Assumption. In 2021, he transferred to South Carolina, and became the Gamecocks’ starting Nickel cornerback.

He played in 12 games with South Carolina, making seven starts. Platel finished with 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, two passes defended and two forced fumbles.

Platel will join Robert Morris cornerback Tavin Harvell, Waterloo (Ontario) defensive back Tyrell Ford and Marshall defensive back Cory McCoy as tryouts in the team’s secondary this weekend.

RELATED: Steelers rookie minicamp tryout invites

The Steelers did not draft a defensive back with any of their seven selections in the 2022 NFL Draft, instead choosing to bring in undrafted free agents Chris Steele and Bryce Watts in addition to the rookie camp tryouts.

The team was active in the secondary during free agency. The Steelers brought in outside free agents Avery Wallace and Damontae Kazee, while re-signing Akhello Witherspoon, Terrell Edmunds, Arthur Maulet, Miles Killbrew and Karl Joseph.

The Steelers waived injured cornerback Isaiah Johnson on Tuesday, reducing the number of players at the position on the roster by one. The team’s 90-man roster is presently full, so for any rookie minicamp tryout to earn a contract, a player will have to be released from the roster.

Last year, the Steelers invited just five tryouts to rookie camp because of the league’s COVID-19 rules. None were offered contracts. Teams did not hold rookie camps in 2020.

The team’s rookie minicamp starts Friday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side and is scheduled to run for two days.