South Carolina Football – Impact Juniors
By Jacob Elsey
DEF: Ernest Jones, Jaycee Horn
Jones led South Carolina’s defense last season, registering a team-high 97 tackles. His 8.1 tackles per game was good for fourth in the SEC in 2019. He also added five tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack.
Jones started all 12 games last year as a true sophomore, and he’ll be expected to repeat that in his junior season. He is a vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball, and heads up a deep Carolina linebacking corps that returns all but one player from last year’s roster in TJ Brunson.
Jones will be playing under a new position coach in 2020, as former Gamecock linebacker Rod Wilson stepped in following Coleman Hutzler’s departure for the University of Texas. Don’t expect him to miss a beat with the transition. Jones has locked down the MIKE linebacker spot and will be a Day 1 starter barring any unforeseen circumstances. With a solid season, he could start creeping up some NFL draft boards. WalterFootball.com ranks the Georgia native as the No. 6 inside linebacker prospect in the 2021 class.
Horn has been a day 1 starter since arriving on campus in 2017. He is probably the team’s best cover-corner, and will line up opposite fellow junior Israel Mukuamu when the season begins. Over his career, Horn has recorded 85 tackles, 17 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He’s still looking for his first interception.
Horn isn’t lacking on experience as he’s made 22 starts as a Gamecock, earning All-SEC honors in his freshman season. He looks to follow in his dad, Joe’s, footsteps as he pursues a career in the NFL. With another solid year, he may be tasked with a tough decision ahead of the 2021 draft.
Horn will be asked to cover the opposing team’s best receiver week in and week out. He may be the most important part of the defense for many reasons.
First, there is very little experience behind him on the depth chart. The Gamecocks’ secondary is filled with underclassmen, particularly at the corner position. Will Muschamp brought in a quartet of talented defensive backs in the 2019 recruiting class with Cam Smith, Johnny Dixon, Shilo Sanders and Jammie Robinson, but that talent is still largely unproven. The Gamecocks also have two more DBs joining the 2020 squad as freshmen. The defense will need Horn to stay on the field to avoid having to put that inexperience in the starting lineup.
Secondly, his cover skills should allow for a talented front seven to apply more pressure on the quarterback. The higher the pressure, the higher the chance for the opposition to make a mistake. The Gamecocks should have some talent along the defensive line, and Horn’s abilities in coverage should help create some chaos in opposing backfields.
Finally, as previously mentioned, Horn will be in charge of locking down the top skill player of Gamecock opponents. This will be a tall task as South Carolina takes on five of the top 15 teams in the country. Expect Horn to be up to the challenge, and lead what could be a stingy Carolina defense in 2020.
Read more: Impact Freshmen
Read more: Impact Sophomores