South Carolina football fans already received some good news this afternoon when veteran linebacker Brad Johnson announced that he’d be returning for one final season with the Gamecocks.
Now, another one of his defensive teammates will follow suit.
Former five-star defensive lineman Zacch Pickens will be back in Columbia for his senior year. The potential NFL Draft pick is holding off on an opportunity at the next level as he looks to improve his professional stock in 2022.
He made the declaration on social media just a few moments ago.
One more year 🤝❤️ pic.twitter.com/b4SuiXC01C
— Zacch Pickens🧃 (@ZP6DT) January 3, 2022
The decision to return is huge for the South Carolina defense. The unit was the strong arm of the team last season, and with Pickens coming back, the front four should remain an asset.
Pickens recorded career bests in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks as a junior in 2021. Under new defensive coordinator Clayton White, the interior lineman was disruptive, taking down opposing quarterbacks four times. That was more than he’d tallied in his first two seasons combined.
Pickens’ seemed to live in opposing backfield early in the year, racking up 4.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks over the team’s first seven contests. The numbers may have fallen off a bit as the year drew on, but his importance on the front line of the South Carolina defense did not.
The Palmetto State native will have one last chance to represent his home team at the collegiate level. A former top 10 overall recruit, he’s the fourth-best high school player to ever sign with the Gamecocks according to 24/7 Sports.
With Pickens back, the Gamecocks should have a solid defensive foundation to build around heading into 2022.