South Carolina football: knowns, unknowns on defense in 2021
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina football has unanswered questions heading into spring practice.
The South Carolina football program began spring practice yesterday, and a new coaching staff will look to identify playmakers on each side of the ball as they see their team on the field for the first time. One of those areas will be on defense, where defensive coordinator Clayton White inherits a group that is pretty bare at a few different levels.
The Gamecocks saw more than a half a dozen starters from the 2020 roster either move on to the NFL or transfer out of the program. Of those contributors, five were members of the secondary, leaving the defensive backs room void of experience.
There are also questions at the linebacker level, where the team’s leading tackler of the last two seasons is off to the professional ranks following a productive three-year career.
To make up for the mass exodus, the Gamecocks hit the transfer portal hard, landing five defensive players that began their Division I careers at a previous university. Shane Beamer and Co. also land three JUCO defenders to help bolster a unit that struggled towards the tail end of last season.
Let’s take a look at what we know, and what we don’t know, in regards to the South Carolina defense ahead of 2021.
KNOWNS
The defensive line will be a strength
The Gamecocks are deep and talented along the front four, bringing back starters JJ Enagbare, Zacch Pickens, Aaron Sterling, Jabari Ellis, and Rick Sandidge. They’ll also have Jordan Burch, Alex Huntley, Devontae Davis, and Tonka Hemingway back, while adding Jordan Strachan and Jakeem Green in the transfer portal.
Enagbare was the SEC’s second leading sack getter in 2020, while Strachan led the nation in the category, taking down opposing quarterbacks 10.5 times. Burch and Pickens are former five-star prospects, while Sterling, Ellis, Sandidge, and Hemingway have made significant contributions over the last few seasons.
Special teams is one of league’s best
We’ll tie special teams into defense, and it should be an area where the Gamecocks excel. Parker White comes back for a fifth season, and should be an impact player both kicking field goals and booting kickoffs.
Punter Kai Kroeger is back for his sophomore season after averaging 43.3 yards a punt in 2020. The lefty knocked 39 punts last season with a long of 53. He can be a weapon in changing field position and helping out a defense that may experience some road bumps this year.
New faces will be key contributors
South Carolina landed a handful of transfers and JUCO prospects over the offseason, and they’ll be expected to step into contributing roles day one. In the defensive backfield, in particular, the Gamecocks will count on Georgia Southern transfer David Spaulding, and two corners from the Georgia Military College to fill in for a secondary that lost five starters from the 2020 roster.
At linebacker, team captain Ernest Jones is gone, meaning newcomers Debo Williams and Bam Scott will enter the rotation immediately. Jordan Strachan is another transfer that will be expected to make a major impact from a pass rush perspective after leading the nation in sacks last year.