Previewing South Carolina football’s defense
LB
South Carolina is thin at linebacker, returning just one player at the position with more than 15 tackles last season. The Gamecocks will try to make it work with a combination of Sherrod Greene, Mohamed Kaba, Damani Staley, Rosendo Louis, Jahmar Brown, and Brad Johnson, as well as incoming transfers Bam Martin-Scott and Debo Williams. Freshman Kolbe Fields could also factor into the rotation.
Greene is the most seasoned of the returning players, having seen action in 36 games, making 25 starts. He’s amassed 130 takedowns over his career, including a 73-tackle season in 2019. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury in game one of the 2020 campaign. The Gamecocks are hoping he returns to form for his senior year.
Johnson is another veteran that’s played both linebacker and defensive end. He, too, has struggled with injuries during his time in Columbia, but he’s got the talent to make an impact this season if he can stay healthy. Staley comes back for his final season after totaling 50 tackles at outside linebacker last year.
Kaba, Brown, and Louis will all look to take the next steps in their young careers, while Williams and Martin-Scott are trying to make a name for themselves at their new college stops. There are options here, but most of them are unproven.
DB
At defensive back, there will be a ton of new faces. The Gamecocks lost their top five contributors in the secondary to either transfer or the NFL Draft following the 2020 season, forcing coach Shane Beamer to attack the transfer portal hard during the offseason.
South Carolina landed six transfers from either the Division I, Division II, or JUCO ranks. Carlins Platel, Tyrese Ross, Karon Prunty, Isaiah Norris, Marcellas Dial, and David Spaulding join the roster following stops at previous schools. Prunty was a freshman All-American at Kansas, and figures to take over one of the starting cornerback roles. Ross played in 11 games at Washington State and could be a player to take over at safety. The other newcomers will see plenty of opportunities, as well.
Of the players returning, RJ Roderick, Jaylin Dickerson, Jaylan Foster, and Cam Smith have limited starting experience. Smith will likely nab the other cornerback spot, while Roderick, Dickerson, and Foster will factor in on the back end. Dominick Hill, Joey Hunter, and O’Donnell Fortune will also see action.
The secondary gave up huge chunks of yardage in a number of contests last season. If they can clean up some of those issues, the defensive unit will improve drastically.