5 Reasons South Carolina Football Will Be Better on Defense in 2024:
Veteran Returners
In the age of the transfer portal, it feels like recruiting transfers and fighting for roster retention is nearly as much a part of the college football landscape as high school recruiting. In fact, this year, the Gamecocks brought in a transfer portal class of over 20 players as opposed to a high school class of just 15.
However, despite that large number, defensive coordinator Clayton White's unit is returning a large number of veteran contributors from last year's team. Most of the new players are veterans, too, and they will be counted on to play this fall, as well.
Defensive tackle returns its top-4 players, defensive end brings back several rotational pieces, linebacker returns all but two players from last year's rotation, and the secondary will see all the team's top safeties and all but one of the team's corners come back from last year's team.
TJ Sanders, Tonka Hemingway, Boogie Huntley, and Nick Barrett are joined by veteran transfers DeAndre Jules and Monkell Goodwine in the top-6 at defensive tackle. Sanders and Hemingway could also get snaps at defensive end, especially in instances in which the Gamecocks run their 3-3-5 defense.
At defensive end/EDGE, senior transfer portal additions Kyle Kennard and Gilber Edmond (who played for the Gamecocks from 2020-2022) will be counted on, and so will true freshman Dylan Stewart. However, returners Desmond Umeozulu, Elijah Davis, JT Geer, and Bryan Thomas, Jr. could be important players this fall.
Linebackers Debo Williams, Bam Martin-Scott, Mo Kaba, and Jaron Willis are all back this season, and transfers Demetrius Knight and Bangally Kamara are also older players who have starting experience.
Cornerback Marcellas Dial was drafted this spring, but the rest of the Gamecocks' defensive backfield returns. Safeties Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith return, starting nickel Jalon Kilgore is back, OD Fortune is a multi-year starter at corner, and experienced players like David Spaulding, Gerald Kilgore, and Judge Collier will battle with exciting young players like Vicari Swain and Jalewis Solomon for playing time.
The overall experience on the Carolina "D" is among the best in the country. 19 players on the defense have started multiple Division-I games in their career, including 7 who have made all-conference teams and/or received Freshman All-American honors during their careers.