Four-star Gamecocks freshman Josh Belk got his most work in months. How’d he do?

The arc of Josh Belk’s season at South Carolina hasn’t been a smooth one.

After the former four-star defensive tackle transferred from Clemson, he had to wait until days before the season opener to find out if he could play this year. He got in against Coastal Carolina and Georgia, both blowouts, and then got shelved because of an ankle injury and conditioning issues.

It had been seven games across nine weeks since the big defensive tackle had stepped on the field for the Gamecocks, but Saturday in a 49-9 win against Chattanooga, he got his chance and got it early.

“I’d like to watch the tape, but I saw he defeated some blocks, got off some blocks,” Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said. “They ran the power Sam to our sideline twice, and he disengaged on the center well and made a play. So just continuing to come on. When you’re a young player, the game’s just got to continue to slow down for you and the more turns and reps you get, the better you’ll get at it.”

For the game, he made a pair of tackles, and he was playing early because of a spate of injuries on the defensive front. Because of injuries at end, Keir Thomas spent some time on the outside. Javon Kinlaw didn’t play much with a nagging injury, and even freshman Rick Sandidge had to be helped off the field.

They Gamecocks are set to return their three young blue chip tackles – Belk, Sandidge, Kingsley Enagbare – next season, along with Kobe Smith and Kinlaw if he doesn’t go to the NFL.

USC has three more games, so it remains to be seen if Belk will end up redshirting. He can play one more this season and still save a year of eligibility.

His Saturday was just about getting back out there and getting some work against a perhaps overmatched foe. He’s had an off path, enrolling at Clemson, leaving after a semester, landing in Columbia and then dealing with adversity. And his teammates recognize what it meant for him to make that return to the field.

“He’s come a long way,” middle linebacker T.J. Brunson said. “He’s been working his tail off since the ankle injury thing. He’s a guy who’s hungry. He wants to make play.

“When he’s out there, he’s playing really hard. That’s all you can really ask for.”