The South Carolina football team got a huge boost over the weekend with a key defender announcing his decision to return to the team for one final season.
Defensive back RJ Roderick will be back in Columbia for the 2022 campaign, which will be his fifth with the Gamecocks. Roderick is taking full advantage of the NCAA COVID adjustments, which allows for athletes that played in 2020 to gain an extra year of eligibility.
I see a level that I want to reach.. pic.twitter.com/d1ctYxER92
— RJ Roderick 🌹 (@rjroderick5) January 1, 2022
Roderick has been a mainstay on the South Carolina defense since his freshman season in 2018. He signed with Will Muschamp out of Cane Bay High School as a three-star athlete. He made the transition from high school quarterback to college safety upon his arrival to campus.
While he was a solid contributor under Muschamp’s leadership, the senior experienced his most productive season last year with defensive coordinator Clayton White. The hard-hitting defender notched a career-best 65 tackles and forced a pair of fumbles.
Roderick’s announcement is welcomed by the Gamecocks’ staff as it solidifies the secondary on the back end of the South Carolina defense.
With Roderick’s return, he’ll join Cam Smith, Darius Rush, and David Spaulding as players that have already announced their intention to play for the Gamecocks in 2022. He will also help ease the pain of losing All-American safety Jaylan Foster.
The secondary was thought to be a weak spot prior to the start of last season after losing Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu to the NFL. Now, following a year where the Gamecocks ranked eighth nationally in pass defense, it appears to be a strength heading into 2022.
Roderick’s return is a big reason why.