With latest transfer from South Carolina football program, offensive players change jersey numbers

On Thursday, news broke that confirmed an ongoing rumor when South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer announced that wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce was no longer with the program. Huggins-Bruce, who joined the team this offseason after transferring from the Louisville Cardinals, is enrolled at Louisville again and is in the process of trying to re-join their football team.

Huggins-Bruce's departure leaves the team's #1 jersey unused (at least on offense; defensive back DQ Smith wears it on the other side of the ball). According to Gamecock SID and associate athletic director Steve Fink, with the new number availability, transfer quarterback Robby Ashford claimed Huggins-Bruce's old jersey and will wear #1 this fall. He previously had been #4, but wide receiver Tyshawn Russell (who wore #21 last season) will wear the jersey vacated by Ashford.

The new jersey numbers could take some getting used to for South Carolina football fans, and they aren't the only new ones on the roster. Senior defensive back Nick Emmanwori shifted his number from 21 to 7 this offseason, and redshirt senior EDGE Gilber Edmond (after a year at Florida State) will wear #55, the number he wore as a true freshman with the Gamecocks before shifting to #8. Redshirt freshman cornerback Vicari Swain is moving from #16 to #4 (the defensive version of the number).

Among the newcomers who could be in the two-deep this fall, some notable jersey numbers for fans to remember for this season include #3 (wide receiver Mazeo Bennett), #5 (running back Rocket Sanders and EDGE Kyle Kennard), #6 (EDGE Dylan Stewart), #7 (wide receiver Gage Larvadain), #14 (wide receiver Jared Brown), #15 (wide receiver Dalevon Campbell), #16 (defensive back Jalewis Solomon), #17 (linebacker Demetrius Knight), #18 (linebacker Bangally Kamara), #19 (wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs), #20 (tight end Michael Smith), #23 (defensive back Gerald Kilgore), #24 (kicker/punter Mason Love), #27 (running back Oscar Adaway), #44 (defensive tackle Monkell Goodwine), #52 (offensive lineman Kamaar Bell), #74 (offensive lineman Josiah Thompson), #76 (offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins), #87 (tight end Brady Hunt), and #99 (defensive tackle DeAndre Jules).