South Carolina Football: Under the radar players to watch as fall camp begins
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s most under the radar players to watch in fall camp:
EDGE Players Jordan Strachan and Jatius Geer
South Carolina football lost two of its top three EDGE players to the transfer portal when Jordan Burch (Oregon) and Gilber Edmond (Florida State) left via the transfer portal. Rodricus “Hot Rod” Fitten also left in the portal, and the only returner with much experience (Jordan Strachan) tore his ACL for the second time early last season.
Strachan has seen a lot of college football. In fact, he is entering his 7th year as he was able to utilize a redshirt, a medical redshirt, and the “Covid” redshirt to stay with the Gamecocks for another season. Coming off of an ACL tear, he has missed most of the offseason but appears ready to go for fall camp.
#7 will be a starter at one defensive end spot to start the year, and the Gamecocks will need him to be the player he has shown himself to be in brief flashes. A gifted pass rusher, Strachan led the nation in sacks in his final season at Georgia State before transferring to South Carolina before the 2021 season.
Jatius Geer is a South Carolina native who went to Syracuse out of high school. After a very productive redshirt freshman campaign, he entered the transfer portal, and Shane Beamer was determined not to miss on the talented pass rusher again.
Geer is the projected starter opposite of Strachan, and he has flashed some real ability (including a big hit to knock the ball away from former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei as he attempted a pass last season).
Both Strachan and Geer are likely better natural players as pass rushers than they are against the run, so they will each need to step up to become more complete players on the EDGE. With no one with much experience behind them at the defensive end spots, Gamecock fans will be anxiously watching how Strachan and Geer perform this fall.