Which young Gamecock might have D.J. Wonnum fighting for snaps next season

D.J. Wonnum has established himself as South Carolina’s most disruptive defensive played up front, a good pass rusher who makes his share of plays against the run.

But to hear him tell it, he’ll have to fight for his playing time next season.

“He’s making me work hard now,” Wonnum said. “We always push each other.”

That’s because rising sophomore Brad Johnson came on as the season wore on. He played 136 snaps, including 31 against Clemson. He only posted five tackles, but did register a sack against Wofford.

And that was at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds as a freshman.

“He’s come along great,” Wonnum said. “He came in a little undersized, but he’s gotten a lot bigger and a lot stronger. He’s making plays. He’s come into the Buck position being able to drop and make plays. Brad is doing a good job.”

Wonnum heads into next season as a potential All-SEC player. His backup much of the season was Daniel Fennell, but he also spent some time at strongside linebacker after Bryson Allen-Williams went down with a shoulder injury.

So that opened space for Johnson, who came to USC as a four-star prospect off an interesting high school career. He was a pass-rushing terror as a junior, but as a senior, injuries forced him to moonlight on offense. He rushed for 693 yards and five touchdowns, while averaging nine yards per carry, while still posting 43 tackles and 13 sacks defensively.

Wonnum knows a thing or two about coming in undersized. He was a late-blooming prospect, who enrolled at a wiry 227 pounds. He caught the staff’s eye early, earning a rotation spot, and now is starring at 251.

“He reminds me of myself,” Wonnum said. “A little small when he came in, but as we keep going, he’s going to get better and better.”

Perhaps Johnson can follow the same path, or at least keep him on his toes.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Which young Gamecock might have D.J. Wonnum fighting for snaps next season."