The wait was 350 days for this Gamecock. How he came back with a bang

The play itself looked nothing if not violent.

South Carolina linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams got his hand on the side of the helmet of the Coastal. player He did the only thing he could, yank as he went by, and down the QB went.

Allen-Williams was back.

“It felt good,” Allen-Williams said after his team’s 49-15 victory. “It really didn’t feel different. I just know, after that first play, I was just locked in.”

Many years and a few positions ago, Allen-Williams was a true freshman who started a game for USC. Saturday against the Chanticleers, he was an accidental fifth-year senior coming back for a last chance with a vengeance.

He’d seen last season end early with a shoulder injury. His versatile skills are something Will Muschamp says USC needs badly.

“Leadership, No. 1,” Muschamp said. “A guy that’s going to play extremely hard, No. 2. And he gives us some edge presence in the pass rush. No different than Deebo (Samuel), no different than K.C. Crosby, three seniors that really lost most of their season last year to injuries. And to get those guys back makes a difference.

“Really proud of Bryson.”

Saturday, he was back to his old tricks. Beyond the sack, he made two other tackles for loss and had a hurry. He played a role the staff likes for him, switching between strongside linebacker and a pass-rushing Buck defensive end spot.

He allows the staff to play an extra defensive back and throw out more exotic looks with three linemen and two other linebackers.

He was once considered a top recruit and pass rushing prospect, but his first two years on campus didn’t yield much. He showed his range replacing an injured Skai Moore as a junior, and last year was poised to be that multi-role player on the defense in his last season before the shoulder injury forced a red shirt.

On Saturday, Allen-Williams was just happy to be back on the turf at Williams-Brice, aiming to make the most of a last unplanned season in Columbia.

“I was just ready to go,” Allen-Williams said. “It’s been a long time coming, 350 days to be exact.

“I was just excited to be back.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2018 at 10:10 AM.