South Carolina Gamecocks 2015 Position Preview: Linebackers

Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Walton

Jonathan Walton was another overlooked member of the 2013 recruiting class. He was rated a 3-star recruit according to the 247Sports Composite. He committed to the Gamecocks over offers from Auburn, Tennessee, Penn State, Minnesota, and others.

Walton did not make as big of a splash as Skai Moore upon entering the program, but he did gain some valuable game experience in 2013. By the end of the season, he had recorded 8 tackles, and went into 2014 as a player to watch for the defense.

In 2014, Walton started the season as a starter on defense. His start was slow but it did pick up about halfway through the season. In the game against Kentucky, he recorded 6 tackles and recovered a fumble. 38 of his 61 total tackles came over the last 5 games which made him the third leading tackler on the team.

This season, Walton will be counted on to keep up the production he had during the last 5 games of the season. Manning the WILL linebacker position, Walton was named the Most Improved Linebacker in the spring by the coaching staff. Many think he could be the best linebacker on the team by the end of the season.

Next: Larenz Bryant