South Carolina football is in need of help at the running back position. With just one returning scholarship running back on the roster (Juju McDowell), the Gamecocks brought in Newberry transfer Mario Anderson, moved do-it-all playmaker Dakereon Joyner to the position, and signed 4-star DJay Braswell. Sixth-year player Dante Miller was expected to factor into the battle for playing time in the running back room.
Unfortunately for Miller, after a long appeal with the NCAA, the transfer from Columbia University is officially not listed on the South Carolina football roster. The Gamecocks and Miller had been optimistic enough about his chances to receive the waiver that he remained with the team this spring, but with the University of South Carolina putting out its official roster on Sunday, the former Ivy Leaguer was not included.
Nicknamed “Lil’ Turbo,” Miller was a first-team All-Ivy League performer in his final year with the Lions and rushed for over 1200 yards in his career in the Ivy League.
Miller’s lost appeal to the NCAA seemed to be the likely way things were going to end for the veteran running back. He had previously tweeted a semi-cryptic message about potentially not being on the field this fall but has since deleted the tweet.
While not expected to play a huge role for the South Carolina football team in 2023, Miller’s special teams duties and veteran savvy in the running back film room will be missed.
Because Juju McDowell is not an every-down back, Mario Anderson is unproven, and Dakereon Joyner is new to the position, the experienced Miller might have been leaned on early in the year as everyone else got acclimated. The void left by Miller could mean that true freshman DJay Braswell is pressed into duty a little earlier than expected in 2023.
By the end of the season, the Gamecocks will have figured things out at running back. Dakereon Joyner has shown the ability to run the ball (albeit from the quarterback spot in the past), and Mario Anderson and Juju McDowell will carve out roles. If Braswell can be as good as his 4-star rating indicates, things will be just fine for the Gamecock running back room, but the loss of Miller still has a chance to sting a bit, especially in the early goings.