South Carolina football: 4 bold predictions for season opener
By Jacob Elsey
Bold predictions for South Carolina football
South Carolina will record 5+ sacks
The Gamecocks were one of the worst teams in the nation last year in terms of getting to the quarterback. As a team, South Carolina recorded just 14 sacks in 10 games of action. Ten of those came in the first four contests. In the final six games, all losses, the Gamecocks sacked opposing signal callers a total of four times.
That will change this year. The Gamecocks should boast one of the SEC’s top defensive lines, led by Kingsley Enagbare. Enagbare was the lone bright spot on the line last year, finishing second in the SEC in both sacks per game and forced fumbles. He’s considered a first-round draft pick for 2022, and is looking to cap his collegiate career with a strong senior season.
Beside Ebagbare will be former five-star prospects Jordan Burch and Zacch Pickens, along with incoming transfer Jordan Strachan, who led the nation in sacks last year. Aaron Sterling returns from injury after leading the team in sacks in 2019, and a number of contributors are back in 2021.
The line should be able to impose its will on the Panthers’ offense, particularly with new defensive coordinator Clayton White planning to put an emphasis on getting to the quarterback. South Carolina didn’t record more than three sacks in a single game last year, but we’re betting they reach five or more against an overmatched Eastern Illinois offense.