South Carolina football: What will the defense look like in 2021?
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina football will have new faces at every position on the ’21 defense.
South Carolina has seen a mass exodus on the defensive side of the ball, having a total of nine players either declare for the NFL Draft or enter the transfer portal. Safety RJ Roderick opted out of the 2020 season following Will Muschamp’s firing, and though he’s not yet made a statement on his future, it seems unlikely that he’ll be with the Gamecocks next season. Roderick’s assumed departure bumps that total to 10.
Of the players leaving the program, eight had starting experience, including all six defensive backs that have decided to leave Columbia. Though the secondary has certainly seen the most attrition, the Gamecocks have taken hits at every level of the defense.
Over the last couple of days, South Carolina has seen ends Joseph Anderson and Keir Thomas enter the transfer portal, while tackle Makius Scott has since moved on to Georgia Tech. Starting linebacker Ernest Jones has also concluded his career as a Gamecock, opting to enter the 2021 NFL Draft this spring.
In total, the group has accounted for 868 tackles, 16 interceptions, 14.5 sacks, and 12 forced fumbles.
So, who will man the defensive unit in 2021, and how does new coach Shane Beamer go about building depth on a depleted roster?
Let’s start with some players still with the team to see where they may fit in in next year’s lineup (All names are subject to change, this lineup is based off of members on the roster as of today).
DL – Jordan Burch, Devontae Davis, Jabari Ellis, JJ Enagbare, Tonka Hemingway, Alex Huntley, Zacch Pickens, Rick Sandidge, Aaron Sterling, MJ Webb
This is probably the deepest and most talented position on the defense, having 10 players ranging from rising sophomores to fifth year seniors. If we had to take a starting lineup now, a front four of JJ Enagbare, Zacch Pickens, Jabari Ellis, and Aaron Sterling would make the grade.
Enagbare nearly led the SEC in sacks this season despite missing three games with injury. Ellis and Pickens have been mainstays on the interior for the last couple of seasons, while Aaron Sterling could return from a season ending injury and build upon a six sack season in 2019.
Behind these four would be a trio of talented youngsters in Burch, Hemingway, and Huntley, as well as tackle Rick Sandidge and JUCO transfer Devontae Davis, who missed last year with an injury.
South Carolina will look to build depth in the upcoming recruiting class, where they’ve signed tackle Nicholas Barrett, who’s now on campus. They also still hold a commitment from instate lineman TJ Sanders, who is expected to sign in February.
LB – Jahmar Brown, Gilber Edmond, Rodricus Fitten, Sherrod Greene, Brad Johnson, Mohamed Kaba, Rosendo Louis, Damani Staley
The Gamecocks have lost just one player from this position group, but it was a big one, as the team’s leading tackler of the last two seasons is now off to the NFL. Still, there’s potential on the roster.
Mohamed Kaba seems poised to take over the vacancy, with Rosendo Louis likely playing in a backup role at inside linebacker. Kaba tallied 13 tackles in his rookie season, and earned a boost in playing time over the team’s final three games.
On the outside, it seems to be a battle between Brad Johnson, Jahmar Brown, Sherrod Greene, and Damani Staley for the final two spots. Staley started a majority of the year as the Gamecocks struggled with injuries. He finished third on the team in tackles.
Brown and Greene appeared in one game each due to injury, but both have starting experience. Johnson, Edmond, and Fitten may all slide into an outside linebacker role after playing the BUCK position over the last few seasons.
DB – Jaylin Dickerson, O’Donnell Fortune, Jaylan Foster, Dominick Hill, Joey Hunter, Cam Smith , ZaQuandre White
The entire starting four in the secondary is now gone, as Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn have declared for the draft, and Jammie Robinson and Shilo Sanders have entered the transfer portal. John Dixon, who came in to replace Mukuamu throughout the year has transferred to Penn State. And we mentioned RJ Roderick’s status earlier.
With its top six defensive backs gone, the Gamecocks will need to find bodies in order to build depth.
Jaylin Dickerson is a player that has been in and out of the lineup over his first four seasons. He suffered season injuries in both 2017 and 2019. This past season, he recorded 20 tackles and a pick in limited action. He’ll likely be an option at safety in 2021. The other safety spot could go to Jaylan Foster, who finished fourth on the team in tackles after appearing in eight games.
Cam Smith earned a few starts following the midseason departures of Horn and Mukuamu, intercepting two passes from his cornerback position.
From there, not much is proven. Youngsters Joey Hunter, Dom Hill, and O’Donnell Fortune will battle it out for the final spot. Tailback-turned-safety ZaQuandre White could also see time in the defensive backfield. It’s not known if he’ll flip full time to defense, but it is worth noting that he played linebacker at Florida State prior to transferring to Carolina.
Shane Beamer has landed the pledge of two JUCO transfers to build depth. Isaiah Norris and Marcellas Dial will both factor into the secondary rotation in 2021.
Obviously, there’s a ways to go before we get to the start of next season, and there will certainly be more additions and losses as the Gamecocks navigate through a coaching change. Things may begin to cool off a bit once the team settles in on a coordinator.
Either way, Gamecock fans will need to get familiar with the new faces on the South Carolina defense in 2021.