South Carolina football: defensive position previews

The South Carolina football team is gearing up for its first season under the leadership of head coach Shane Beamer. Following a disappointing 2020 campaign, the Gamecocks parted ways with Will Muschamp and the majority of the coaching staff. In comes defensive coordinator Clayton White to try to turn around a unit that allowed more than 36 points per game last year.

He should have a couple of pieces to work with. South Carolina’s defensive line is deep, and it should be the strength of the group. There are question marks with depth at linebacker, though, and the secondary is very much unproven. To fill some holes on the defensive side of the ball, the Gamecocks brought in a number of transfers. While those players were widely successful at previous stops, it remains to seen how they’ll fare in the SEC.

These questions will be answered over the coming weeks as the season opener creeps closer. Here, we break down each position group on the field, highlighting depth, previous performance, and potential surprise performers. Let’s start in the trenches, where the Gamecocks boast two former five-star talents and a projected first-round NFL selection.

DL

This is easily the deepest, most talented position group on the defense. The team returns Kingsley Enagbare, Jordan Burch, Zacch Pickens, Aaron Sterling, Rick Sandidge, and Jabari Ellis up front after making major contributions in past seasons. Enagbare has received a ton of offseason praise, with Mel Kiper going as far as to rate the pass rusher as a first-round talent in next year’s NFL Draft.

Pickens and Burch were both top 10 players in their respective recruiting classes, and they’ll be counted on to take huge steps forward in 2021. Pickens enters year three, and was an all-SEC performer as a freshman, while Burch saw his first collegiate action last year. Both will be atop the defensive line rotation.

Sandidge and Ellis figure to play a ton of snaps inside, while Sterling looks to bounce back from a season ending injury last year. He led the team in sacks as a junior and is hoping to cap his career in Columbia on a high note.

The wildcard in the group could be incoming transfer Jordan Strachan. who comes to South Carolina after a three-year stint at Georgia State. Last season, the edge rusher led the entire nation with 10.5 sacks, and he’s looking to make an instant impact on the Gamecocks’ front four.

There are a ton of pass rushing options in Columbia this year. Hopefully, they’ll be able to mask some deficiencies on the back end of the defense.