He played for USC as a freshman, now moves back to old position: ‘It’s pretty nice.’
The ask for South Carolina defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare was a pretty big one.
He’d been a defensive end. That’s what he was. Moving to tackle, among the hardest positions to learn on the college level, meant a steep learning curve. And then he started the season in the two-deep, only to see his role increase and change through the Gamecocks’ injury-plagued year.
“It was tough, for the first time,” Enagbare said. “I think I started in the spring, playing tackle. It was like a different technique you have to learn. I’ve been playing end my whole life.”
The offseason came with another change. Instead of being cast as the explosive interior tackle, he’s now working back at end. That means going from being undersized at a generously listed 285 last year to a more robust edge player at 265.
Not that it’s easy to pick up a second college position in as many springs. But he has a little support around him.
“It’s been smooth because I got the older guys like DJ (Wonnum) and coach Mike (Peterson),” Enagbare said. “He’s been helping me with the transition. I’ve been playing end almost my whole life. So it’s pretty nice.”
Enagbare admitted his first choice wasn’t to move inside, but he wanted to do whatever would help. He now feels his size will be an asset against the run, plus he has the ability to rush the quarterback.
As a true freshman, the former four-star recruit from Atlanta opened the season as the No. 4 tackle behind Kobe Smith, Javon Kinlaw and Keir Thomas. He ended up making 20 tackles, three for loss, with one sack, three hurries, a couple pass break-ups and a blocked kick. He also had to slide out to end some when injuries wrecked South Carolina’s depth.
Now it appears the depth at tackle is so great, between that trio, Rick Sandidge and incoming recruits Zacch Pickens and Joseph Anderson, there’s more need for him outside.
But when Will Muschamp was asked about the change, he still harkened back to using Enagbare to terrorize offensive lines from the tackle spot.
“He’s obviously a guy that’s got some versatility,” Muschamp said at the start of spring. “That can rush inside, especially when you get in one-minute and third-down situational-type things. You can match him up on a guard inside.
“Really progressed as the year wore on.”
Enagbare is about to go through a handoff of sorts. South Carolina is about to go through practice No. 5 of the spring, and then he’ll get a new position coach. USC will start working on its three-down packages, which means Enagbare and the other big defensive ends will be working with new line coach John Scott Jr.
This situation is, to a degree, something last year prepared Enagbare for, because as a tackle, he’s already played a good bit of end in the three-down looks.
It’s a small benefit of the big ask from last season. It’s not that there weren’t good things about being thrown in the way he was, but he’s happy to be back.
“It wasn’t my first choice,” Enagbare said. “But it was a great experience to be able to help, be able to play end and tackle, be able to be more versatile in the future.”
