South Carolina Football: Midlands native transferring from Gamecock program

South Carolina football has seen 10 players reported as transfer portal defections in the last handful of days.

Though the portal does not open officially until next Monday, Donovan Westmoreland (EDGE/LB), Tanner Bailey (QB), Colten Gauthier (QB), Juice Wells (WR), Mitch Jeter (K), Landon Samson (WR), Felix Hixon (DT), Kylic Horton (WR), D’Andre Martin (DT), and O’Mega Blake (WR) are all expected to enter the portal.

According to GamecockCentral’s Chris Clark, that number has jumped to 11 on Friday.

Chapin native Zavier Short is believed to be entering the transfer portal next week. He was

Short spent most of his two seasons in garnet and black as a reserve wide receiver but did train some as a tight end/h-back when depth was an issue at that position. He did not see the field much for the Gamecocks.

Short is the fifth wide receiver on the current roster who appears ready to leave in the transfer portal, and seniors Xavier Legette, Ahmarean Brown, and Eddie Lewis are out of eligibility. As of now, just two receivers (Mazeo Bennett and Zy’marion Lang) are pledged to the South Carolina football program in the class of 2024.

That means that the Gamecocks likely will be in the market for multiple players at the position in the transfer portal. Returners like Nyck Harbor and Tyshawn Russell are likely in for larger roles, but two or three transfers could be big contributors in 2024 if head coach Shane Beamer and his staff can find players who are the right fit.

South Carolina football has handed out offers to a handful of graduate transfer players (grad transfers can enter the transfer portal at any time), and some of these grad transfers have been receivers. However, the transfer portal recruiting process is still in the early stages with most of these players.