South Carolina Football: Former Gamecock linebacker finds new home in the transfer portal

South Carolina football has lost 20 players to the transfer portal so far this offseason. Just a handful, though, had made significant impacts on the field.

Wide receiver Juice Wells (Ole Miss), running back Mario Anderson (Memphis), kicker Mitch Jeter (Notre Dame), offensive lineman Jaylen Nichols (undecided), linebacker Stone Blanton (undecided), and wide receiver O'Mega Blake (East Carolina) are the only portal entrants who played much in garnet and black.

One of the players who had not found his way to the field much in Columbia was linebacker Akhnaton Shabazz. An impressive athlete, Shabazz walked on to the South Carolina football team prior to the 2022 season but never saw any game action for the Gamecocks.

Back in October, Shabazz left the team, but no public reason has been given as to why he was no longer with the program. Like former Gamecock defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod (who was dismissed from the team back in October), Shabazz was going into the transfer portal, but it did not become official until the portal opened the first week of December.

Right before the New Year, Shabazz found a new home through the transfer portal.

According to a report on Twitter/X by the school, the former USC linebacker will play the 2024 college football season as a member of the Alcorn State as he signed official paperwork with the Braves. The HBCU finished the 2023 season 7-4 and tied for the SWAC West lead with a 6-2 conference record.

Shabazz will bring some speed to the linebacker position for the Braves, and his 1 1/2 years practicing with an SEC program can only serve as benefit to him as he transitions down a level.

South Carolina football also lost one other linebacker to the transfer portal as starter Stone Blanton left the program just before Christmas.