National analyst hypes up South Carolina football transfer additions

In recent days, 247Sports' Chris Hummer wrote an article detailing several fall camp storylines from around the country, including some positive notes on several transfer portal additions to the South Carolina football program.

According to Hummer, three new Gamecocks are among the players who have impressed during the first week of fall camp in Columbia. Running back Rocket Sanders (Arkansas Razorbacks), linebacker Demetrius Knight (Charlotte 49ers), and wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs (Florida State Seminoles) were all mentioned.

Sanders is the transfer portal addition who has gotten the most coverage since his commitment this winter. The 2022 All-American spent much of the offseason recovering from a knee ailment and shoulder surgery but has had a great summer. He is healthy and is back to his 2022 playing weight. It would be a shock if anyone other than Rocket Sanders is the starting running back for the Gamecocks this fall, but he will have some help as fellow transfers Oscar Adaway and Jawarn Howell and returners Djay Braswell and Juju McDowell could contribute.

Knight was an all-conference performer at linebacker for the Charlotte 49ers in 2023, so it should come as no surprise that he is practicing well for the Gamecocks. All-SEC 'backer Debo Williams will start at one spot, but Knight is in hot pursuit of a starting gig, as well. USC likely will play both a 4-2-5 base defense and a 3-3-5 set, and Knight can play in either look. He is the heaviest of the team's linebackers but also might be the fastest, so he should be able to play sideline-to-sideline for defensive coordinator Clayton White.

Jacobs was one of two post-spring transfer wide receivers to end up in Columbia along with former Nevada Wolfpack pass-catcher Dalevon Campbell. Jacobs spent just one year at Florida State where he redshirted, but he shown why many thought he was one of the most underrated high school prospects in the class of 2023. He was considered a 4-star prospect by two major outlets and a 3-star recruit by two others, but was considered to be one of the best players in all of Florida high school football. He has only been in Columbia for a couple of months, but he might be a starter by the time the season starts in three weeks.

South Carolina football fans certainly hope that Hummer's sources are correct and that Sanders, Knight, and Jacobs are ready to be big-time contributors to the Gamecocks' on-field success in 2024. The trio will take the field together at Williams-Brice Stadium for the first time on August 31st when the Old Dominion Monarchs travel down for the season opener.