South Carolina Football: Three more Gamecocks planning to enter transfer portal

The transfer portal has not opened officially yet, but the South Carolina football program is one of many programs across the country that already is dealing with transfer portal news as players are making their intentions to leave known.

“Expected to enter the transfer portal,” “believed to be transferring,” and other similar phrases have been tagged alongside players’ names as underclassmen technically cannot enter the transfer portal until next week. Graduate students can enter the portal and transfer at any time.

So far, the Gamecocks have seen Donovan Westmoreland (reserve EDGE/LB), Tanner Bailey (reserve QB), Colten Gauthier (reserve QB), Juice Wells (starting WR), Mitch Jeter (starting K), and Landon Samson (reserve WR) reported as future transfers.

On Thursday afternoon, GamecockCentral’s Wes Mitchell reported that three more Gamecocks added their name to the list of players planning on transferring out of the South Carolina football program.

Redshirt freshman Felix Hixon was a reserve defensive tackle who didn’t see much action since joining the team in the class of 2022. Hixon was already behind several veteran defensive linemen on the depth chart but fell behind some of the other young players, as well. He would become the first defensive tackle transfer portal casualty.

Fellow redshirt freshman Kylic Horton was a reserve wide receiver who, like Hixon, hasn’t really had much of an on-field opportunity in garnet and black. Horton has a lot of physical ability but only found his way on the field one time in two years at USC. He is the third South Carolina receiver to leave the team on Thursday.

A third redshirt freshman is also transferring. Defensive tackle D’Andre Martin, a player who saw a little more playing time later in the 2023 season, plans to enter the transfer portal. After Hixon, he is the second defensive tackle to decide to leave the program.

Several other players have been rumored as possible transfers, as well, so the transfer portal news might not be over just yet for South Carolina football fans.

The transfer portal officially opens on Monday, December 4th.