South Carolina Football: Less than two weeks from kickoff, Gamecocks add another new player

South Carolina football made significant news over the weekend by adding transfer portal talent Drew Tuazama to the roster. The graduate transfer defensive lineman will help the Gamecocks at a thin defensive end position, and he could help out at defensive tackle if needed, as well. Because of how thin USC is on the defensive line, Tuazama may play immediately.

Adding one player this late in the process is rare, but the South Carolina football program went ahead and added a second player this week, this time in the form of a local walk-on.

Tight end Will Helmadollar joined the program this week, according to an announcement from South Carolina football SID Steve Fink. Helmadollar played tight end and linebacker for Ben Lippen. He is currently listed as a tight end on the newest update of the South Carolina football roster.

At 6’3 and 225 pounds, Helmadollar has good size for the tight end position. As a walk-on and a late arrival to the team, he is not expected to see much game action this fall, but the Gamecocks are no stranger to having walk-on tight ends play contributing roles in the offense.

Hayden Hurst and Jacob August were both former walk-ons who played significant roles in the Gamecock offense as tight ends. It would be unfair to place expectations on Helmadollar to fill that big of a role, especially a Hayden Hurst type of role, but based on recent history, the possibility exists.

Helmadollar joins Maurice Brown and Lukas Vozeh as walk-on freshmen tight ends for the Gamecocks. Two graduate transfers (Trey Knox and Josh Simon) headline the position group, but after that, the other tight ends are unproven players, meaning Helmadollar could have a real chance at eventually finding a role on the team if things go well for him in garnet and black.