South Carolina Football: Which Walk-Ons Could Contribute in 2023?

Every NCAA football team is allotted 85 scholarships. But for South Carolina football and most other collegiate programs, there are more than 85 players on the team. How does this work?

“Walk-on” is a term used to describe players who are not granted an athletic scholarship but have been invited to join the team. Sometimes these athletes play another sport (Gamecock fans can remember players like Bruce Ellington, Sheldon Brown, and Evan Hinson playing multiple sports for the Gamecocks), but usually, due to the scholarship availability and some NCAA rules, players get shifted to a football scholarship if they play a role for the team. Other walk-ons get offered “preferred walk-on” spots on a team, meaning that they do not have a scholarship available to them when they step on campus, but they will be first in line to receive one should a scholarship slot open. Still others want to join the team even without a likely opportunity to earn the scholarship.

South Carolina has seen numerous walk-ons contribute to teams of the past. Garrett Chisolm was a walk-on offensive lineman who eventually earned a scholarship and a spot on the All-SEC team for the Gamecocks’ SEC East Championship team in 2010. Erik Kimrey was a walk-on who is famous for coming off the bench to throw “The Fade” to beat Mississippi State in 2000. Recent standouts Hayden Hurst, Parker White, and Elliott Fry began their careers as walk-ons before earning scholarships.

So which walk-ons from the 2023 team have a real chance to be the next walk-on hero for the Gamecocks? In addition to the players listed below, Payton Mangrum, DJ Black, Dante Miller, and Nathan Harris-Waynick will look to find some playing time among the inexperienced depth in the wide receiver and running back rooms.

DeAngelo Gibbs

A former 5-star recruit by some evaluators, Gibbs has taken a wild route to get to Columbia. He started his career at Georgia before transferring to Tennessee. Taking over a full season of football off during his time in Knoxville, Gibbs left the team and transferred to South Carolina a walk-on. A very talented player who has very little college football experience, fans and coaches alike are intrigued by what Gibbs could offer to the 2023 Gridiron Gamecocks.

Gibbs has played both wide receiver and defensive back in his career but seems to be getting his first opportunities on defense with the Gamecocks. A big athlete at 6’1″ and 215 pounds, Gibbs profiles as a safety who has enough size to impact the run game. He will compete for rotational playing time behind incumbent starters DQ Smith and Nick Emmanwori, though Emmanwori could move to linebacker and Smith could move to nickel should the team need them to do so.

Maurice Brown II

Moe Brown is an athletic walk-on tight end who was high school teammates with fellow freshman Desmond Umeozulu. Listed at 6’4″ and 242 pounds, Brown has the versatility to play with his hand in the dirt as an in-line tight end or to split out. In a tight end room that lost five scholarship players from last season, playing time is up for grabs.

Brown will battle with three transfers (Trey Knox, Joshua Simon, and Nick Elksnis) and several freshmen (Connor Cox, Reid Mikeska, and others) for playing time. Regardless of whether or not he plays on offense, Special Teams Coordinator Pete Lembo will surely find a role for him on his units as players with Brown’s size and movement abilities are not easy to find.

BJ Gibson

A safety who saw some time last season, Gibson will likely enter the season on the two-deep at the position. Gibson threw his weight around a bit last season, using all of his 6’4″, 215-pound frame to deliver some big hits on the defensive side of the ball. Gibson played at the Naval Academy before coming to South Carolina, so his discipline and work-ethic are good traits to keep around any team.

Gibson also played a lot on special teams a year ago, and that should continue into this season.

DJ Twitty

Another player who could factor in at tight end is walk-on sixth-year player DJ Twitty. Twitty would almost assuredly not play in a pass-catching capacity or in a traditional tight tend role, but the spot vacated by Nate Adkins from last season could be filled somewhat by Twitty if other players do not step up. The back-up to Adkins in the Gator Bowl last season, Twitty is a big-bodied fullback who certainly could play an h-back role for the Gamecocks if his name is called.

Expect to see Twitty receive opportunities during spring practice and the summer to showcase his blocking ability to try to earn more permanent playing time.