South Carolina Football: Gamecocks on XFL and USFL Rosters

South Carolina football has numerous players on professional rosters. Names like Deebo Samuel, AJ Cann, and Ryan Succop are among the best at their respective positions in the NFL, and many other Gamecock alums compete every Sunday. Because of the reintroduction of professional spring football leagues like the USFL and XFL, even more college stars have the opportunity to play the game they love professionally.

XFL

Football fans can watch the game all-year round thanks in part to the resurrection of the XFL (which, despite Homer Simpson’s declaration, does not stand for “Extreme/’Xtreme Football League).

According to original league founder Vince McMahon, the XFL acronym is just a fun jumble of letters that don’t actually have a meaning. The league just finished its opening weekend, and fans seem excited about the league’s future.

The third iteration of the spring football league sees recognizable names like wide receiver Josh Gordon (Baylor), quarterback AJ McCarron (Alabama), EDGE Vic Beasley (Clemson), DB Matt Elam (Florida) and punter Marquette King (Fort Valley State) join the league. From the South Carolina football program, former defensive lineman Kobe Smith is part of the San Antonio Brahmas’ roster.

Kobe Smith was a space-eating defensive tackle in Columbia. Part of Will Muschamp’s first recruiting class in 2016, Smith totaled almost 100 tackles in his career and was instrumental as a run stuffer, a role he filled for a short time in the NFL before transitioning to the XFL this offseason.

USFL

The original USFL attempted to rival the NFL from 1983 to 1985. Today’s USFL has no direct connection to the original spring league other than through its name. Some notable players such as running backs Alex Collins (Arkansas) and Bo Scarbrough (Alabama), tight end Bug Howard (North Carolina), and wide receiver Reggie Davis (Georgia) are on 2023 USFL rosters. The USFL season is set to kick off on April 15th.

South Carolina football alums Zaquandre White, Kyle Markway, Sadarius Hutcherson, and Blake Camper are listed on 2024 rosters for the Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Memphis Showboats, and Philadelphia Stars.

Zaquandre White was a running back for the Gamecocks in 2020 and 2021 but led the backfield during his second season in garnet and black, totaling almost 800 yards of offense despite missing some time. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in the NFL before moving on to the USFL this offseason.

Kyle Markway was part of a crowded tight end room at South Carolina from 2015-2019. Markway did not play much due to injury before his final season in 2019 when he became a regular contributor before being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams.

Sadarius Hutcherson is one of the best offensive linemen in recent Gamecock history. Playing from 2016-2020, Hutch started for almost four full seasons at both guard and tackle. Hutch spent a year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after college.

Blake Camper started double-digit games as an offensive tackle for both Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp at South Carolina. After his Gamecock career, Camper spent a brief amount of time in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers.