South Carolina football: three transfers rank among nation’s best

3 South Carolina football players considered among top transfers.

The South Carolina football team added a ton of talent from the transfer portal this past offseason as head coach Shane Beamer scoured the country for additions to roster void of depth at a number of positions. In all, the Gamecocks landed signatures from more than a dozen players hailing from either the junior college ranks or from other FBS and FCS programs.

Those transfer additions help fill open holes at wide receiver, quarterback, linebacker, and in the secondary, and many of these players will be relied on heavily in the upcoming season. It appears as though coach Beamer and Co. have brought in a solid haul, too, and folks around college football are beginning to take notice.

24/7 Sports recently unveiled its list of the top 150 transfers ahead of the 2021 season. A total of three South Carolina signees made the cut.

The most highly regarded addition is edge rusher Jordan Strachan. The hybrid linebacker/end led the nation in sacks last season at Georgia State, and he ranks as the 18th-best transfer prospect in the country. Strachan was also a member of the site’s All-Transfer Team, and is considered the top pass rusher in the transfer class. Here’s what they had to say about Strachan’s abilities and how he’ll be used in Columbia.

"“A former walk-on, Strachan transitioned from safety to linebacker to one of the best pass rushers in the country over a four-year period. Given that South Carolina produced just 14 sacks last year as a team, Strachan projects to be a major upgrade off the edge.”"

Strachan will be expected to compete for a spot in the starting front seven immediately, and will bolster a South Carolina pass rush that was lacking last season.

Next up is Freshman All-American defensive back Karon Prunty, who recently committed to the Gamecocks over SEC East rival Tennessee. Prunty played at Kansas last season where he locked down opposing receivers in the Big XII. The corner limited pass catchers to just a 38.5% catch rate, the seventh-best mark in the country, and didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage all year long. He also led all freshmen with 10 pass breakups and figures to take over one of the cornerback spots alongside Cam Smith. Prunty ranks as the 54th-best transfer, and the sixth-best cornerback.

Last, but not least, is tight end EJ Jenkins. Jenkins hails from FCS program St. Francis, where he set a school record for touchdown receptions in 2019 with 13. He opted to transfer this offseason after the Red Flash shut down their 2020 football season.

Jenkins will be used in a variety of ways on the South Carolina offense. The 6-foot-7 pass catcher is a bit of a hybrid between tight end and wide receiver, and should be able to create mismatches against opposing secondaries. He ranks as the 115th-best transfer in the nation, and is the third-rated tight end prospect.

Fans should get familiar with the names of these new additions. They’ll be heavily involved in the team’s success next year.