South Carolina Football: Gamecocks secure commitment from South Carolina native

The South Carolina football team has been in the market for offensive line help ever since the team’s projected starter at left tackle Jaylen Nichols injured his knee during the annual Garnet and Black Spring Game during the first drive. Nichols had started games at both guard and tackle over the last two seasons in Columbia, but he is now expected to miss almost all if not all of the 2023 season with the knee injury. No specific details have been given regarding the injury.

Since Nichols went down with the injury, Carolina has added two preferred walk-on linemen, including one (Jaxon Hughes) who spent all of the 2022 season starting at the left tackle position for the Charlotte 49ers, including a game at Williams-Brice Stadium against the Gamecocks in the fall. On Wednesday, the Gamecocks added a third preferred walk-on to the o-line room in Mercer transfer portal player Nigajuan “Ni” Mansell.

Mansell is an interior lineman starter from Mercer University who spent time the last two years at both guard and center for the Bears. Primarily a guard, Mansell also possesses enough length and athleticism to play on the outside at tackle if needed but does not have experience doing so at the college level. Mansell is an Anderson, South Carolina native who played at Westside High School.

With Nichols’ injury, projected starter Jakai Moore is expected to slide out from guard to the left tackle spot. This means that Mansell’s experience starting at guard could be important for the Gamecocks as the team is now a player short at the position.

None of the three preferred walk-ons are expected to be forced into starting duties, but both Hughes and Mansell have experience starting, so the Gamecock offense should not feel as if the sky is falling if either player is pressed into action. The other walk-on is a class of 2023 high school prospect named Campbell Vandiver who profiles as a tackle.