PFF grades two South Carolina football transfers among the best veterans in the SEC

The 2024 version of the South Carolina football team will rely heavily on its transfer portal class to come in and make an impact.

Some transfers are expected to start (names like Rocket Sanders, Gage Larvadain, and Torricelli Simpkins all are among the transfers who likely will see first-team reps), some will provide depth, and others are still battling for positions, so it is too early to tell if they will be part of the first unit or not.

The Gamecocks should be a deeper team this fall thanks to those transfer portal additions, and several of these newcomers have been rated by Pro Football Focus as some of the top returners in the Southeastern Conference for the 2024 season.

Gamecock tight end Josh Simon, defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, and linebacker Bam Martin-Scott made it onto PFF's top-10 lists. Transfer wide receivers Gage Larvadain (Miami (OH) RedHawks) and Jared Brown (Coastal Carolina Chanticleers) and portal linebacker Demetrius Knight (Charlotte 49ers) were on PFF's top-10 returners lists at their respective positions, as well, and two other new Gamecocks have found themselves in a similar position.

Running back Jawarn Howell (South Carolina State Bulldogs) and safety Gerald Kilgore (Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles) received strong grades in 2023, leading to their inclusions. Howell slots in as the #3 running back with a grade of 82.4 after dominating at the FCS ranks last season. Kilgore, the older brother of Freshman All-American safety Jalon Kilgore, has the 2nd-highest grade among returning safeties with a grade of 85.2.

Howell had a tremendous true freshman season in Orangeburg, and there is a chance that he is just too good to keep off the field this fall; however, the Gamecocks' newfound depth could allow him to take a year and adjust to the SEC. Veterans like Rocket Sanders, (the expected starter), Juju McDowell, and Oscar Adaway are also in the running back room, and other young talents like Djay Braswell and Matthew Fuller are on the roster, as well.

Kilgore is a rising redshirt sophomore who entered college at Tennessee Tech as a quarterback. After making the transition to defensive back and fighting his way into a big role on the Golden Eagle defense, Kilgore showed himself to be a really good player. With experience at nickel and safety, he finished the year as the starting safety in 2023 and played at an elite level down the stretch. With his brother, Nick Emmanwori, and DQ Smith all returning this fall, the elder Kilgore won't be needed to be a starter right away, but he is good enough to see the field in a key reserve role this year.