Carolina Football - Position Breakdown Preview
The 2024 South Carolina Football team officially reports for fall camp on Thursday, Aug. 1, with the first practice scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2. Here is a position-bhy-position breakdown heading into fall camp.
QUARTERBACK
The quarterback position will look a lot different in 2024 than it has in the past two seasons when Spencer Rattler, a fifth-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints, took every meaningful snap. Following spring drills, head coach Shane Beamer anointed redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers as QB1 heading into fall camp. Sellers was impressive in limited duty as a true freshman and has worked extremely hard to gain a better understanding of the offense. His skill set is different than Rattler’s, so offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains will look to take advantage of Sellers’ God-given athletic abilities. Don’t be surprised if Auburn transfer Robby Ashford works his way into a regular role. Ashford has excellent speed and has experience playing in the SEC, which can only serve him well. Luke Doty is another player with SEC experience at quarterback. While Doty spends much of his time in the wide receivers’ room, he is more than capable of filling in at quarterback, should that situation present itself. Davis Beville returns to his home state to finish out his playing career. Beville is more of a traditional dropback passer and doesn’t have the speed or elusiveness of the other quarterbacks in the room, but has big-game experience, playing at both Pitt and Oklahoma, including a start in the Red River Rivalry. Dante Reno is a true freshman who joined the squad in the spring and flashes potential. Jimmy Francis a walk-on from the Lonestar State, joined the team in the summer.
RUNNING BACK
No area has been upgraded more in terms of experience, depth and talent than at running back. The addition of Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, a transfer from Arkansas who was an All-SEC performer two years ago after rushing for more than 1,400 yards, immediately gives the room credibility. While Sanders can certainly become the bell cow, he is not the only capable performer out of the backfield. Juju McDowell is the top returner. McDowell has proven to be effective and can make people miss when he has the ball in space. Oscar Adaway III brings plenty of game experience following a stint at North Texas. He, along with South Carolina State transfer Jawarn Howell, who may have the most upside in the room, and sophomore Djay Braswell, who showed flashes in a limited role last season, give new running backs coach Marquel Blackwell plenty of viable options. Incoming freshman Matthew Fuller joins the squad this summer with high expectations. Bradley Dunn, Nathan Harris-Waynick, Larry Scott, Chase McCracken and Neil Salvage III are all walk-ons that add depth to the room.
WIDE RECEIVER
Another area of the offense that received an influx of new talent is at wide receiver. Heading into the fall, no one has established themselves as the “go-to” guy for new wide receivers coach Mike Furrey, but the same could have been said a year ago before Xavier Legette burst onto the season and played his way into a first-round draft selection. The key for the new faces is to overcome the learning curve and understand the playbook to be able to play fast. The lone returning starter is two-sport standout Nyck Harbor. Harbor, did not participate in spring drills instead taking his freakish talents to the track where he earned All-America honors as a sprinter. Versatile Luke Doty has honed his skills as a receiver after beginning his career at quarterback and has experience at this level. Five transfers were brought in to compete for spots in the rotation. The quintet includes Jared Brown (Coastal Carolina), Dalevon Campbell (Nevada), Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (Louisville), Vandrevius Jacobs (Florida State), and Gage Larvadain (Miami (OH)). All but Jacobs were here in the spring and had an opportunity to adjust to Gamecock Football. Tyshawn Russell, CJ Adams and Elijah Caldwell are all in their second seasons in the program and look to take the next step in their development. Former walk-on Payton Mangrum has become a regular on special teams and is someone the coaches trust with his consistency and leadership. True freshmen Mazeo Bennett Jr. and Debron Gatling arrived in the spring and began to showcase their talents and make a bid for early playing time. Eriq Rice, Aaron Morton and Emazon Littlejohn are walk-ons who add depth.
TIGHT END
After undergoing a complete overhaul a year ago, the tight end room has a lot of familiar faces returning in 2024 but has a change in leadership with Shawn Elliott returning to Columbia to mentor the group. Joshua Simon is the top returning receiver on the squad after hauling in 28 passes for 256 yards a season ago. Brady Hunt, who earned Freshman All-America honors in 2022 at Ball State, is the lone new transfer in the room and should make an early impact. Nick Elksnis, Connor Cox and Maurice Brown II all lettered a season ago and are vying for a consistent role. True freshman Michael Smith is well thought of and could make an early impression despite not arriving until the summer. Reid Mikeska and Lukas Vozeh return for their second season.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Injuries completely decimated an already thin unit a year ago, so Coach Beamer and offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley made it a point to find some additional help to avoid finding themselves in that situation again. Four starters return including a pair of veterans in left guard Jakai Moore and right tackle Vershon Lee, and a pair of youngsters who were forced into the fray as true freshmen a year ago in left tackle Tree Babalade and right guard Trovon Baugh. All four are certainly in the mix to start again, but they will face some challengers to hold onto a starting role, and the position they played last season may not be the same in 2024. In addition, Cason Henry was the Day 1 starter at right tackle in 2023 and Markee Anderson was slated to compete for a starting role, but both were plagued by injuries. If they are back to full strength, expect them to play prominent roles as well. Three transfers in Kamaar Bell (FAU), Aaryn Parks (Oklahoma) and Torricelli Simpkins III (North Carolina Central) were brought in to immediately figure into the two-deep and possibly start. Scholarship players Ryan Brubaker and Jatavius Shivers, along with walk-ons Ni Mansell, Chase Sweigert, Mac Walters and Campbell Vandiver have been with the program and provide depth. The future looks bright with a trio of highly decorated freshmen in Blake Franks, Kam Pringle and Josiah Thompson on board. All three got an early taste of big-time football by going through spring drills. First-year walk-ons Parker Lawson and Jake Recker round out the unit.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
The Carolina defensive tackle position may be the most experienced unit on the field, littered with older players who have earned their stripes. Second-year coach Travian Robertson, a former standout in his own right at the position, will lean on the trio of Tonka Hemingway, Alex Huntley and T.J. Sanders to set the tone. The three have been interchangeable, combining for 111 games played and 38 starts (Hemingway 48/17; Huntley 37/14; Sanders (26/7). Senior Nick Barrett is strong at the point of attack and has appeared in 34 games over the past three seasons. A pair of veteran transfers joins the unit, giving the Gamecocks a solid three-deep at the position. DeAndre Jules has spent the past five seasons at Pitt and logged 7.5 tackles for loss a season ago. Monkell Goodwine saw limited action over the past three seasons at Alabama, but his stint with that program has to pay dividends. Jamaal Whyce is in his third season with the program. He has shown flashes as he works to gain more consistency. Rondarius Porter and Chase Kibble are a pair of walk-ons new to the program in 2024.
EDGE
The EDGE position lists seven players on the roster, and all seven figure to see extensive playing time this fall, making this position one of the most interesting to watch this fall. The group features the most depth in recent years which should lead to more productivity. The top returning player is Bryan Thomas Jr., who has added some weight while maintaining his speed. The additional weight will help him in the run game, while his arsenal of pass rush moves makes him a threat off the edge. Seniors Kyle Kennard and Gilber Edmond are the two portal additions from the ACC. Kennard is a veteran player who logged a half dozen sacks at Georgia Tech last season. Edmond is very familiar with South Carolina, having played for the Gamecocks from 2020-2022 before spending last season at Florida State. Senior Elijah Davis, redshirt junior Jatius Geer and sophomore Desmond Umeozulu all are in their second season with the Gamecocks and look for their role in increase as they have a better understanding of the defense. Davis was a junior college transfer, while Geer, who has been hampered with some injuries, spent two seasons at Syracuse before coming to Carolina. The coaching staff raves about true freshman Dylan Stewart, who joined the squad in January. The most coveted player in the 2024 signing class, Stewart appeared to be as good as advertised in the spring and could make an immediate impact.
LINEBACKERS
The linebackers room showcases more depth from top to bottom and should be solid in 2024. Leading the way is All-SEC performer Debo Williams, who was the Gamecocks MVP for the defense and selected as a permanent team captain in 2023. An aggressive player who loves contact, Williams collected a team-leading 113 tackles a season ago, the most for a Gamecock since 2002. Bam Martin-Scott continues to see his stock rise. A versatile linebacker, Martin-Scott has good speed, can blitz and can cover. A pair of portal pickups in Bangally Kamara and Demetrius Knight Jr., give defensive coordinator Clayton White more veteran options this season. Kamara spent the past four seasons at Pitt where he played in 48 contests including 21 starts. Knight began his career at Georgia Tech where he spent four seasons, before having a breakout campaign in 2023 at Charlotte where he earned All-AAC honors after collecting 96 tackles for the 49ers. The wild card to the unit is Mohamed Kaba. Kaba was a Freshman All-SEC selection in 2020, but a pair of ACL injuries over the past two seasons has derailed a promising career. If he can get healthy and back to the player he was, it would be a huge bonus. Redshirt sophomore Jaron Willis is a role player who can provide a pass rush. Four walk-ons in Colin Bryant, Andrew Colasurdo, Ronnie Porter and Jamian Risher Jr., all lettered last season, provide depth at the position and could all figure in prominently on special teams. Two true freshmen in Wendell Gregory and Fred “JayR” Johnson joined the squad in January and have bright futures in the program.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The Carolina secondary, under the guidance of Torrian Gray, has a core of excellent players that can line up with anyone. Continuing to build trust in the depth beyond that first-line unit will be key as the fall progresses. The safety position is a strength with the return of a pair of juniors in Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith. Both have been starters almost since they first arrived on campus and now combine that experience with their God-given ability, making them one of the top safety tandems in the SEC if not the country. Jalon Kilgore was a Freshman All-American a season ago and figures to be the top candidate for the Nickel position in Clayton White’s Flex-Nickel base defense. David Spaulding is a veteran who makes plays but has been sidelined with some injuries. Redshirt senior O’Donnell Fortune figures to hold down one of the starting cornerback positions. The Gamecocks have produced a number of NFL-ready corners, and Fortune is looking to become the next in that line. The competition for the corner position opposite of Fortune was a three-person tussle between Emory Floyd, Judge Collier and Vicari Swain. Floyd is a former member of the track team, Collier made a pair of starts last season and Swain has displayed excellent ball skills. All are looking for the consistency to earn the coaches’ trust. Tennessee Tech transfer Gerald Kilgore, Jalon’s older brother by about 16 months, joined the squad in the spring and could factor in at safety, along with Peyton Williams, who was working his way back from an ankle injury last fall. Zahbari Sandy suffered an ACL injury in the spring and will miss the 2024 season. Three scholarship true freshmen are vying for a role as well. David Bucey and Kelvin Hunter went through spring drills, while highly regarded Jalewis Solomon was a summer addition. Walk-ons King-Demenian Ford, Joseph Byrnes and Jace Blackshear have been with the program and add depth and special teams help. Greer, S.C. product Buddy Mack III returns to his home state to finish out his career after spending the past four years at Pitt where he saw action primarily on special teams. Jackson Burger, Landon Kurtz and Isaiah McClary are true freshmen walk-ons. Burger and Kurtz joined the squad in the summer, while McClary was an early enrollee and had a highlight with an interception in the Garnet & Black Spring Game.
PLACEKICKER
The Gamecocks have been nearly automatic on field goal attempts in the three seasons under head coach Shane Beamer and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo, connecting on 39-of-42 field goal tries (93 percent) since the start of the 2021 season. New special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will look to keep that same efficiency, but will have to do it with an unproven kicker. Alex Herrera was placed on scholarship in the spring, enticing him to come back for a sixth year with an opportunity to win the starting job. Herrera has never attempted a field goal during a collegiate game but has been successful on all four of his extra point attempts. Herrera struggled with an injury in the spring leaving the door open for his competition. Redshirt junior William Joyce focused more on placements and took advantage of the opportunity presented and put together a big spring propelling him solidly into the mix. Daniel Lester a redshirt sophomore has an explosive leg, maybe the strongest on the squad, but needs to continue to hone his craft and become more consistent. Peyton Argent is a redshirt freshman with a strong leg who continues to improve and develop.
PUNTER
There may be no one more secure with their starting role on the squad than punter Kai Kroeger. Kroeger, a 6-4, 213-pounder from Lake Forest, Ill., is in his fifth season punting for the Gamecocks. He has been the starter since setting foot on campus in August of 2020, earning All-SEC and All-America honors in 2022 when he averaged 46.1-yards per punt. He looks to get back to that All-America form this season after he saw his average dip a bit to 43.2-yards per punt a year ago. Kroeger is also a weapon with fakes, as he has completed 7-of-8 passes in his career for 205 yards and three touchdowns, an incredible 426.5 career quarterback rating. True freshman Mason Love figures to be the backup punter. Despite standing just 5-11, Love has shown some power in his leg and will benefit from learning from Kroeger for a year.
KICKOFF SPECIALIST
The kickoff specialist role is wide open entering the fall following the departure of Mitch Jeter. Alex Herrera is the only kicker with experience as he has handled a dozen kickoffs over the last three seasons. William Joyce, Daniel Lester, Peyton Argent and Mason Love are all candidates as well. They all have the ability, but consistency is the key that eventually will win out.
LONG SNAPPER
If punter Kai Kroeger doesn’t have the biggest stranglehold on a starting role, that would go to long snapper Hunter Rogers. Rogers, a redshirt senior from Columbia, has handled the snapping duties since midway through the 2021 season. Rogers’ work has paid off, as he was recognized as a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches a yar ago after earning second-team honors in 2022. In addition, he is Phil Steele’s 2024 preseason first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America deep snapper. Redshirt senior Cole Rasmussen and redshirt freshman Jordan Franke compete for the backup role, should something unfortunate happen to Rogers. True freshman Gunnar Yocum joined the team in the summer. Yocum has an interesting story to tell, as he was granted an extra year of eligibility in high school after missing a year while undergoing cancer treatment.
HOLDER
There may be no better holder in the country than Kai Kroeger. Not only does he have excellent hands, he is adept at throwing the ball off a fake placement, making him even more dangerous. Kroeger should be on the Mortell Award list again this year and is a key part of the equation as to why the Gamecocks have converted 93 percent of their field goal attempts over the past three seasons. Mason Love worked in the spring as the holder and goes into the fall as the backup to Kroeger in this important but often overlooked role.
KICK RETURNER
Plenty of candidates will compete for the kick returner role, which has been a strong suit for Carolina Football in the recent past with the likes of Deebo Samuel and Xavier Legette leading the charge. Juju McDowell has the most experience, as he has returned 24 kicks for a 22.3-yard average during his career, with a long of 63. Sophomore Tyshawn Russell and Oscar Adaway III got a look in the spring, along with Luke Doty. A wild card who would be interesting to see would be Nyck Harbor, who has the prolific size and speed that would make every return something to witness.
PUNT RETURNER
As is the case with kick returner, the punt return role is up for grabs with numerous candidates who could emerge as the starter. Jalon Kilgore is the incumbent, logging nine of the team’s 13 punt returns in 2023. He is steady and smart. Juju McDowell catches it freely and can make the first man miss. Transfer Gage Larvadain gained experience at the role at both Southwestern Louisiana and Miami. Payton Mangrum catches the ball well, while Ahmari Huggins-Bruce and Vicari Swain could get an opportunity as well.
GUNNER
The Gamecocks will need to replace one of the game’s top gunners in Xavier Legette, who used his speed and size to be a force on both punts and kickoff coverage. Some of the top candidates coming out of the spring to handle those roles include DQ Smith, Vicari Swain, O’Donnell Fortune, Gerald Kilgore, Nyck Harbor, Payton Mangrum and Gage Larvadain.
