Linebacker Ernest Hawkins no longer with Gamecocks

Junior linebacker Ernest Hawkins has left the South Carolina football team. He is expected to transfer.

The 6-foot-1, 224-pound Hawkins, from Baltimore, Md., had one tackle in six games in 2015, his only season as a Gamecock.

Hawkins originally signed with UTEP in 2012 and was set to grayshirt and enroll the following January. He backed away from those plans after the UTEP coaching staff was let go. He was out of football for two years and joined USC after one season at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif.

Hawkins is the fourth player to leave the team this month, joining defensive end David Johnson, cornerback Al Harris Jr. and wide receiver Shaq Davidson.

With their departures, the Gamecocks project to be right at the 85-scholarship mark for the 2016 season.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Linebacker Ernest Hawkins no longer with Gamecocks."