100 days from South Carolina Football: 10 players who must make a jump in 2023
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football Needs 7th-Year Player Jordan Strachan to Hold Down a Defensive End Spot
South Carolina football had a mass exodus at the defensive end position this offseason. Former 5-star Jordan Burch and part-time starter Gilber Edmond transferred to Oregon and Florida State, respectively, Rodricus “Hot Rod” Fitten left for East Tennessee State, and 4-star freshman Monteque Rhames is suspended and likely heading for junior college. After tearing his ACL for the second time at the beginning of last season, Jordan Strachan received a 7th year of eligibility from the NCAA and has spent the offseason finishing his rehab.
The other #7 on the roster will be needed to hold down an EDGE spot this fall. Strachan has performed pretty well over during his just over one year of game action in Columbia, but the Gamecocks are looking for him to produce in a way more similar to his Georgia State days when he led the nation in sacks in 2020. An extremely thin defensive end group may require some players to play out of position at times (defensive tackles like Tonka Hemingway, Elijah Davis, and TJ Sanders; linebackers Donovan Westmoreland and Bam Martin-Scott).
If Strachan can be great for defensive coordinator Clayton White, that allows Syracuse transfer Jatius Geer to ease into the SEC and for the smaller Bryan Thomas, Jr. to be used situationally. Thomas had a very good spring as a pass rusher, but at 235 pounds, he likely cannot hold up against the run, something the Gamecocks are counting on Strachan to be able to do.