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South Carolina Football: Priority transfer running back announces transfer destination

By Kevin Miller

South Carolina football's home venue, Williams-Brice Stadium, will be undergoing some renovations as part of a larger "Stadium Project." (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
South Carolina football's home venue, Williams-Brice Stadium, will be undergoing some renovations as part of a larger "Stadium Project." (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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South Carolina football has been looking all offseason to add a running back to their team. With graduations, medical retirements, and the transfer portal taking four running backs from last year’s roster, Carolina was left with just two scholarship backs before Dakereon Joyner moved over to the position. DJay Braswell will also be enrolling this summer as a member of the 2023 recruiting class, but the Gamecocks are still thin at the position.

With Joyner and Braswell will not be the only two Gamecock running back who lack SEC experience at the position. Juju McDowell has not played (and should not play) a role that involves a heavy workload as a ball carrier, and Newberry transfer Mario Anderson is coming from Division-II, which is (obviously) very different from SEC football.

The two main portal targets at running back for the Gamecocks this offseason were NC State transfer Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and former Notre Dame back Logan Diggs. Earlier on Tuesday, Sumo-Karngbaye announced his commitment to play for the SEC East rival Kentucky Wildcats. Then, on Tuesday afternoon, Diggs announced his own commitment.

Diggs announced via his personal Twitter account that he was committing to LSU, returning home to Louisiana and playing once again for his former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly.

Losing both Sumo-Karngbaye and Diggs is a massive blow for the Gamecocks. This late in the process, it is unclear if South Carolina football can add a running back, so it appears that running backs coach Montario Hardesty will be counting on an unproven player to step up in a big way.

Joyner and Anderson appear to be the early leaders to be the featured back, and McDowell will get some snaps. Braswell likely will be forced to contribute in some way, as well, as most teams have to play three or four backs each game.

All is not doom and gloom surrounding the running back position for the Gamecocks, but it would be disingenuous to say that things were looking good for the fall with where things stand today.

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