South Carolina football, heading into the 2023 season, is in the unique position of returning many of the team’s important contributors from a season ago while still needing to replace a fair amount of experienced players who have moved on from the program.
Quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells headline the returners on offense, while a pair of 2022 Freshman All-American safeties in Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith will look to hold down the back end of the defense.
This article isn’t for those guys. Players like Rattler, Wells, Emmanwori, and Smith are known quantities. Even transfer tight end Trey Knox is a relatively safe bet to have a good 2023 season. And then there’s punter Kai Kroeger, who seemingly has no room for improvement. Well-known players like Dakereon Joyner and Jordan Strachan aren’t on this list, either.
This article isn’t even for the players who have big-time expectations despite limited experience. Incoming freshman Nyckoles Harbor and new starting cornerback Marcellas Dial both enter the 2023 campaign as players who Gamecocks fans are counting on to play big roles.
No, this article is for the players in garnet and black who could rise from relative obscurity to have big impacts in 2023.
Which South Carolina football players could blow up this fall?
Honorable Mention
Jatius Geer: Jatius Geer is a South Carolina native who began his career at Syracuse, flashing some impressive ability at times in the ACC. Now with his home state program, Geer is in contention to start at defensive end for a Gamecock squad that is, after 7th-year senior Jordan Strachan, thin at the position. Geer will play a lot in 2023 and can become one of the most important defensive pieces on the team heading into 2024 if he continues his development.
DJay Braswell: True freshman running back Dontavius “DJay” Braswell has the chance to be special. At 200 pounds, he still has track speed and has been called “even faster” than the Gamecock coaching staff thought he was. Dakereon Joyner will start at running back to begin 2023, but after that, there are plenty of snaps to be had. By the end of the season, fans can expect DJay Braswell to be a major contributor who is in position to start in 2024.
O’Donnell Fortune: O’Donnell Fortune has been a part of the Gamecock football program for a while now (he is a redshirt junior), but his overall experience has been limited. While on campus, he has been behind NFL players like Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu, Jammie Robinson, Cam Smith, and Darius Rush on the cornerback depth chart, but now, the path is clear.
Fortune will have the first opportunity to start alongside Marcellas Dial at corner, something he did for the first time in the Gator Bowl last season. It was a good showing for the Sumter, South Carolina native as he showed off elite speed when he returned an interception for a 100-yard touchdown.
LaNorris Sellers: With a no-doubt starting quarterback in Spencer Rattler, it may seem strange to mention a true freshman quarterback on a list like this, but LaNorris Sellers is not the average freshman quarterback. The former 4-star has an arm that rivals Rattler’s in strength, and he is a legitimate running threat (at 245 pounds, he runs in the 4.4/4.5 range in the 40-yard dash).
Sellers won’t start at quarterback in 2023 unless something has gone terribly wrong, but he could carve out an important role in the offense. With versatile playmaker Dakereon Joyner moving from wildcat quarterback to full-time running back, Sellers could take some of the snaps #5 vacated with his position change.
Jalon Kilgore: Jalon Kilgore is not being talked about enough among the Gamecocks’ freshman class. The 4-star safety is good enough that there has been some talk about defensive coordinator Clayton White and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray shifting the secondary around at times by moving Freshman All-American DQ Smith to nickel just so Kilgore can get on the field. Don’t be surprised if he plays a pretty big role in 2023.
Tyreek Johnson: There are plenty of South Carolina football fans who might not even know who Tyreek Johnson is. The sixth-year defensive end has spent most of his career battling injury instead of Gamecock opponents, but he’s been mostly healthy this offseason and appears ready to go. Shane Beamer said about Johnson, “I think the whole team, if asked who they’d want on their side in a back-alley brawl, would pick Tyreek Johnson.”
Johnson has a chance to be the starter at one defensive end spot this Saturday against North Carolina as he was officially listed as an “OR” on the depth chart. Johnson OR Jatius Geer (questionable with injury) OR Terrell Dawkins will start up front for the Gamecocks and be a big part of the EDGE rotation in 2023.
Sidney Fugar: Sidney Fugar is a large man. Listed at 6’5″ and 330 pounds, he seems even bigger than that. With the broadest shoulders imaginable, Fugar also has very long arms that, combined with his size, make him a formidable pass blocker. He is involved in the competition at both left tackle and right tackle, and if he wins the job, it means that his footwork is up to par.
If a player with the physical tools of Sidney Fugar develops the footwork, too, a dominant season could be incoming. The Western Illinois transfer is a player who has a great mentality to play on the offensive line, as well. This offseason, Fugar has told the media that “No one’s touching my QB” and that he brings “hard-nosed, 60 minutes of hell” of “nothing pretty” when blocking. If big #77 wins the starting job at tackle, expect big things this fall.
O’Mega Blake: An in-state prospect from talent-rich Rock Hill, O’Mega Blake has been buried on the depth chart for two years. With the pass-catching talent the ‘Cocks brought in this offseason, Blake was in danger of becoming even more buried. However, word out of Columbia is that the redshirt sophomore has been really good this offseason and will contribute in 2023. If he sees the field over some of the other talent on this roster, O’Mega Blake could be in for a breakout year.
TJ Sanders: TJ Sanders didn’t start playing football until he got to high school, but he has a chance to make Gamecock fans very happy this fall that he found the sport. Sanders was the Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring, taking full advantage of Jordan Strachan and Tonka Hemingway missing spring practice.
A very athletic defensive tackle, Sanders will play a larger role on the defense in 2023, especially if Hemingway or Elijah Davis have to play some snaps at defensive end. The big man from Marion, South Carolina could become a household name this fall.
Cason Henry: Another potential starter at offensive tackle, Cason Henry has been one of the coaching staff’s favorite players since he arrived on campus a year ago. Perhaps most telling of his talent, Henry missed much of the offseason with an injury, but he is still in a real battle for the starting job at both left tackle and right tackle heading into the season opener.
It is not often that freshmen are ready to play tackle in the SEC, even if they are redshirt freshmen. If Henry wins the job, he has the chance to have a really good year and an even better career with up to three more seasons in garnet and black after this one.
South Carolina Football players who could blow up in 2023:
Offensive Lineman Nick Gargiulo
Nick Gargiulo transferred in from Yale without much hype. The former Ivy Leaguer was the only team captain for the Bulldogs and made an early impression on his new program, moving himself up the depth chart quickly.
Now, Gargiulo is all but guaranteed a starting spot on the offensive line for the Gamecocks. Originally thought to be brought in to compete for the starting center job, Gargiulo will now start at one of the guard spots up front.
The big New Yorker has become a bit of a fan favorite due to some off-the-field reasons (like eating a record 10 cheeseburgers at local Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint or his ability to grow a mean mustache), but his play on the field will endear him to fans even more in due time.
Gargiulo had a great summer and fall camp with the Gamecocks, and his hard work has been noticed by national media outlets. The Athletic ranked the big man in the top-100 transfer players in college football this season, a list that did not include very many offensive linemen.
During a media availability earlier in August, fellow transfer offensive lineman (and potential starter at tackle) Sidney Fugar called Gargiulo the “heart and soul” of the offensive line group. Quarterback Spencer Rattler and head coach Shane Beamer have both sung his praises throughout the offseason.
The football-obsessed Pete Lembo, the Gamecocks’ special teams coordinator, referred to his fellow Italian New Yorker as “my kind of guy.”
For those worried about the size difference between offensive linemen in the Ivy League and the SEC, don’t. Gargiulo is up to about 330 pounds and has held up nicely in camp against real SEC defensive linemen like Tonka Hemingway, Boogie Huntley, TJ Sanders, and Nick Barrett.
South Carolina Football players who could blow up in 2023:
Tight End/Wide Receiver Joshua Simon
Josh Simon is a South Carolina native who transferred home after playing at Western Kentucky. Because of the transfer of fellow tight end Trey Knox, the addition of Simon to the offense did not receive the amount of fanfare that it deserved.
Josh Simon is really, really good at football.
The pass-catching tight end is so good, in fact, that forced the South Carolina football staff to include more two-tight end sets in the offense. The 12-personnel looks will be a common sight this fall, and Simon’s versatility to play like a wide receiver will make it a versatile look, as well.
Can USC line up with two tight ends with their hands in the dirt? Yep.
Can the Gamecocks go five wide but have two big tight ends like Knox and Simon line up as wide receivers to take advantage of mismatches with smaller players? Absolutely.
Can Simon line up in the backfield in an h-back role to help with blocking? Maybe not quite like Nate Adkins last year, but it can happen.
Can he run well enough to fill in seamlessly for the other vertical threats in the Carolina offense like Nyck Harbor, Xavier Legette, and Ahmarean Brown? Yes, again.
Perhaps the tight end’s best trait as a receiver, however, is his ability to go get the football. Several clips emerged from practices in which Simon beat good coverage simply by going over the coverage and snatching the ball out of the sky.
South Carolina football fans should not be surprised to hear another fan at Williams-Brice Stadium exclaim after a big play, “Who the heck is #6?!” Josh Simon, that’s who.
South Carolina football players who could blow up in 2023:
Linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard
Pup Howard is one of the most popular young freshmen on the team, along with 5-star wide receiver Nyck Harbor and quarterback of the future LaNorris Sellers. The fact that an out-of-state linebacker prospect is close to the same level of popularity as a 5-star potential Olympian and the high-upside, in-state quarterback of the future tells fans all they need to know about Pup Howard.
He has an infectious personality and will be a leader on this team in short order. Plus, the Jacksonville, Florida native is a pretty dang good football player, as well.
At 6’4″ and 242 pounds, the 4-star prospect is already the biggest true linebacker on the team, something that could be a big factor in helping fix the Gamecock run defense deficiencies from 2022. Despite not yet playing a single collegiate game, Howard has ascended to the #2 spot on the depth chart behind sophomore Stone Blanton and will play a lot.
Howard, though a big ‘backer, is not just a thumper. He is a good athlete who was a tackling machine in high school, the type of player who can range from sideline to sideline in pursuit of ball carriers.
Howard missed part of fall camp with an undisclosed injury but appears to be full-go heading into the season opener. Fellow linebackers Blanton and Mo Kaba are also injury concerns, meaning that #5’s reps could be that much more impactful for defensive coordinator Clayton White’s unit.
It is not
The South Carolina defensive line has a lot of good players in the room, both at defensive tackle and defensive end (and some guys who can play both), but arguably the best player of the bunch is Tonka Hemingway. Despite a great football name, Tonka Hemingway is not a well-known commodity yet.
That will change in 2023 as the preseason All-SEC selection has a chance to be the most important player on the Gamecock defense. Hemingway will start somewhere on the defensive front, most likely at tackle. He is athletic enough, though, that if the Gamecocks end up needing help at a thin defensive end position, #91 will slide outside and perform well there, too.
Tonka had a minor surgery this offseason and missed spring practice but has been a full participant in fall camp, so the injury is not expected to be a factor moving forward. In his fourth year in the program, the Conway native will be one of the leaders on a defense that has a lot of young talent who will contribute in 2023.
Slightly in jest (but also slightly seriously), fans may consider Hemingway as a threat on special teams. Players who weight 285 pounds do not usually contribute on special teams other than in a blocking capacity, but the Gamecock faithful remember their big-time defensive lineman snagging a pass (through pass interference, no less) to convert a first down on a fake field goal.
No matter where he plays and who is playing next to him, Tonka Hemingway will be taking a big step up for a team that desperately needs him to do so.
South Carolina Football players who could blow up in 2023:
Wide Receiver Xavier Legette
The role as the Gamecocks’ second pass catcher behind Juice Wells will be well-fought in 2023, and Xavier Legette could be the man who fills the spot. He will battle with fellow receivers Ahmarean Brown, Nyck Harbor, and Eddie Lewis and tight ends Trey Knox and Josh Simon for the non-Juice catches.
Legette has had the most overall success at South Carolina of the “next men up,” and he had a good performance to end the 2022 season in the Gator Bowl with 7 catches for 78 yards and 2 scores. A weapon in the kick return game, as well, Legette took one back for a touchdown last season and displayed the top-end speed and physicality that could propel him to a big 2023.
He is also one of the most impressive physical specimens on the South Carolina football roster. Nyck Harbor and Nick Emmanwori aside, Legette might be the most impressive combination of size and speed on the team. At 6’3″ and 227 pounds, he is also one of the fastest players in garnet and black. During last year’s kick return score against A&M, Legette broke tackles and then outran the coverage unit despite losing one of his shoes.
The 5th-year senior has had some struggles in his career with drops and injuries. By the end of last season, both of those issues appear to be behind Xavier Legette, and the Mullins High School alum is ready to break out for the Gamecocks. With all of the attention that Juice Wells will garner, and all the gravity that the Carolina tight end room will command, Legette will have plenty of opportunities to get loose in 2023.
New offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains likes to utilize receivers in the running game, and when the Gamecocks did that in 2022, Legette was one of the men carrying the football. USC fans can expect to see more of that this fall, and, hopefully, more of #17 in the end zone.