South Carolina Football: Gamecock defensive back to transfer for 6th and 7th years?

South Carolina football defensive back Isaiah Norris announced on social media that he will be transferring from the program.

Norris’ transfer portal entrance is interesting as it wasn’t clear if he had any more eligibility remaining when he walked during South Carolina football’s Senior Night. In his transfer announcement, though, Norris said he has two years left that he could play college ball.

Norris graduated from TL Hanna High School in the Upstate of South Carolina back in 2019. After spending time at both New Mexico Military Insitute and Georgia Military Academy, he joined the South Carolina football program in 2021. He played sparingly in three seasons.

It appears that Norris could be the rare player who plays college football at age 25. With the “Covid redshirt” of 2020 and an actual redshirt in 2021, Norris played just one year of college football before 2022. He was injured at times while at South Carolina, and based on his transfer portal announcement, Norris seems confident that he will be able to obtain a waiver for a medical redshirt, granting him a 7th year of eligibility.

Graduating Gamecock Jordan Strachan just finished up his 7th year of college football. The Carolina pass rusher was in a very similar situation to Norris (just two years earlier) in that he utilized the “Covid redshirt” and a traditional one before being granted a medical waiver for a 7th year of eligibility.

Norris’ decision to enter the transfer portal follows a number of other South Carolina football players. The list of outgoing Gamecocks includes JonDarius Morgan (OL), KaJuan Banks (DB), Zavier Short (WR/TE/H-Back), O’Mega Blake (WR), D’Andre Martin (DT), Kylic Horton (WR), Felix Hixon (DT), Landon Samson (WR), Mitch Jeter (K), Juice Wells (WR), Colten Gauthier (QB), Tanner Bailey (QB), and Donovan Westmoreland (EDGE/Linebacker).

The Gamecocks have not received any commitments yet through the transfer portal (it just opened officially on Monday), but wide receiver Jayden McGowan (a South Carolina native who played two seasons at Vanderbilt) is a name to watch.

The Gamecocks will also be in pursuit of players at other positions. In fact, there’s not a position on the South Carolina football roster that is immune from possible transfer portal additions. Wide receiver (even if McGowan joins the program), running back, quarterback, offensive line, EDGE/DE, and secondary are the most likely positions for USC to hit hard in this transfer cycle.