Former South Carolina football player Bryson Allen-Williams has found himself in some hot water with his alma mater after a social media post.
Over the weekend, the former Gamecock linebacker/EDGE and current off-field assistant coach for the Southern Cal Trojans posted a recruiting pitch online and said that "it's only ONE USC," referring to the University of Southern California-Los Angeles.
Gamecock Nation didn't take kindly to Allen-Williams' comment, and BAW tried to diffuse the situation with a message that read "all love to my Gamecocks, No Disrespect," but it was too late.
Because debates online constantly rage about "the real USC" between South Carolina and Southern Cal (or "the real Carolina" between South Carolina and North Carolina or "the real Columbia" between South Carolina and Missouri), fans lit into the former 4-star prospect in the class of 2014. Even some former players got into the mix and voiced their displeasure with the former Gamecock.
Even South Carolina football's second-year defensive line coach (and former All-SEC player) Travian Robertson made sure BAW knew that he wasn't happy with the comment. He posted on Twitter/X that he knew "it's recruiting," but that the comments were still filled with "disrespect" for Carolina.
Allen-Williams was viewed as the top signee in the Gamecocks' 2014 recruiting class, but some injuries and positional changes stunted his development as a player. Even so, he finished tied for 11th in South Carolina football history in career tackles for loss.
After his playing days ended, BAW got into coaching and spent a couple seasons with Shawn Elliott at Georgia State and then the rival North Carolina Tar Heels under head coach Mack Brown. He moved out to California and "the other USC" to work for head coach Lincoln Riley. He is entering his second season with the Trojans.
For anyone wondering, the two USCs have met twice on the gridiron, with each team winning one game. South Carolina football has outscored Southern Cal in the matchups, though, thanks to a 38-14 smacking of the Trojans in the most recent meeting.