South Carolina football fans should see some significant improvement at a couple of position groups from last season to this season. Perhaps the position unit that should experience the biggest jump is the defensive line group.
The Gamecocks' top-3 players at defensive tackle in 2023 (TJ Sanders, Tonka Hemingway, and Boogie Huntley) all returned, and Carolina brought in impact tackle Deandre Jules from the PIttsburgh Panthers. Former Alabama Crimson Tide tackle Monkell Goodwine also transferred to Columbia and has surpassed expectations so far. Junior college nose Jerome Simmons and returners Nick Barrett and Jamaal Whyce will provide depth.
At defensive end, the Gamecocks brought in two transfer portal additions as old friend Gilber Edmond is back on the South Carolina football team after spending a year at Florida State and Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket pass rusher Kyle Kennard will now wear garnet and black. 5-star freshman Dylan Stewart might be the most impactful freshman lineman in Columbia in a decade, and players like Desmond Umeozulu, Bryan Thomas, Jr., Elijah Davis, and JT Geer are another year better.
One of these players was included as part of On3's top-100 players list for the 2024 season.
TJ Sanders, who some thought might leave for the NFL last offseason, slots in at #51 in the rankings. He is the only Gamecock to crack the list, and he is the 7th primary defensive tackle. He is the ranked third-highest among SEC defensive tackles behind only Ole Miss' Walter Nolen (23rd) and Kentucky's Deone Walker (7th).
The talented lineman is listed as a defensive tackle by On3 (and he probably will play most of his snaps at that spot), but depending on what defensive looks USC defensive coordinator Clayton White utilizes, Sanders could get some snaps at end, as well.
In the Gamecocks' traditional 4-2-5 base defense, Sanders is a tackle. Inside, he has shown the ability to be a force in the run game while also providing some real punch as a pass rusher. When Carolina runs their 3-3-5 look, Sanders can play inside or at defensive end. Along with fellow versatile lineman Tonka Hemingway, Sanders could get snaps at any position up front in the 3-man front.
TJ Sanders has an NFL future ahead of him, and his redshirt junior season in 2024 will go a long way in determining just how high he can be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. At 6'5" and just under 300 pounds, Sanders is still a good athlete who played his best against some of the best offensive lines on the South Carolina football schedule, including an SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week selection against the Georgia Bulldogs. He had a really nice season en route to All-SEC honors.
If Sanders can have another big-time year this season, the increase in surrounding talent up front should allow the Gamecocks to have a much better year on the defensive side of the football.