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:
The Young Linebackers
South Carolina football has not had great linebacker play in several seasons, but the 2022 unit was solid enough led by super seniors Brad Johnson and Sherrod Greene. Mo Kaba is certainly a player to watch this season as he recovers from his ACL injury to take over one of the starting spots, but fans should also keep an eye on the younger linebackers on the roster.
Upperclassmen Debo Williams and Bam Martin-Scott will get a fair amount of snaps next to Kaba, especially early in the season. However, the growth of young ‘backers Stone Blanton and Grayson “Pup” Howard could be the most important development in the linebacker room this fall.
Blanton struggled with SEC speed as a true freshman, but he has trimmed up his body some this offseason in an effort to move more smoothly in pursuit of the football. If Blanton can take another step over the next month of practice, he could play a big role in the middle of Clayton White’s defense.
Howard is a true freshman who was one of the highest-rated prospects in the Gamecocks’ 2023 recruiting class. How ready the Carolina coaching staff can get Pup could be a major factor in the team’s defensive success this fall.
Even versatile linebackers like Donovan Westmoreland, Bryan Thomas, Jr., and Jaron Willis could factor into the linebacker rotation some this fall. All three players played some stand-up pass rush snaps in the Garnet and Black Spring Game (especially Thomas), and they are all plus-athletes who could play linebacker if needed.
If Kaba is fully healthy, he will be a solid player at one linebacker spot, but fall camp will be instrumental in seeing if Blanton, Howard, or the others can step up and meet their considerable potentials and/or if the youngsters can push upperclassmen like Williams and Martin-Scott to new levels.