South Carolina football: ranking the incoming transfers
By Jacob Elsey
No. 2 – Jordan Strachan
Strachan will help bolster a Gamecock pass rush that tallied just 14 sacks in 10 games last year. Nearly half of those came from one player, edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare. Enagbare will be back for his senior season, and he’ll welcome the addition of the incoming transfer.
Strachan led the nation with 10.5 sacks a season ago as a member of the Georgia State Panthers. The junior also tallied 15 tackles for loss and forced three fumbles. He immediately becomes one of the team’s top pass rushing threats, and plans to see a ton of action, particularly on third down opportunities.
South Carolina finished 109th nationally in sacks per game last season. Strachan is a big reason we’re predicting the Gamecocks to double their output in the sack department in 2021. The defensive line position is the deepest on the roster, but that shouldn’t prevent the newcomer from making an immediate impact.
No. 3 – EJ Jenkins
Jenkins is another player looking to find a spot in the South Carolina receiver rotation. After playing for FCS program St. Francis for two seasons, the transfer makes the jump to Division I. It certainly won’t be an easy transition, but the Gamecock coaching staff has high hopes for the 6-foot-8 pass catcher.
Jenkins caught a school-record 13 touchdowns, and averaged 20 yards per reception his last time on the field. He was named a preseason all-conference candidate prior to the Red Flash shutting down their 2020 season amid the Coronavirus pandemic. South Carolina is hoping that production translates to the SEC.
What the Gamecocks may still be uncertain on is where Jenkins will line up. At 240 pounds, he’s got the size to thrive as a pass catching tight end, but could also be a jump ball threat on the outside. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield will do his best to find mismatches and maximize opportunities for his new receiver.