Former starter moving to the other side of the ball for South Carolina football

Malik Young opened the 2017 football season as South Carolina’s starting left tackle almost by default.

He’ll start the spring of 2018 on the other side of the ball.

Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp announced Young has been moved to defensive tackle. The fifth-year senior lineman moves to a spot South Carolina needs to shore up.

“We only have Kobe (Smith) and Javon (Kinlaw) as mainstays up front inside,” Muschamp said. “Keir Thomas has played end and tackle, but we don’t have a lot of quality experience behind them.”

Young started nine games at right tackle in 2016 and the first two of 2017 at left tackle. He was supplanted by Dennis Daley, got two starts on the right side because of injuries and did not return after an injury against Texas A&M.

At 6-foot-3, 292 pounds, he adds bulk to a position without much experience. The Gamecocks lose two of their top three tackles, leaving Javon Kinlaw, rotation player Kobe Smith and a slew of question marks, including junior college signee Jabari Ellis and four-star freshman Rick Sandidge.

This story was originally published February 27, 2018 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Former starter moving to the other side of the ball for South Carolina football."