Surprise Gamecocks starter has ‘done a nice job’ thus far

Had things gone to plan, Jordan Rhodes wouldn’t be starting for South Carolina’s football team.

The powerfully built Georgia product opened the year behind sixth-year veteran Donell Stanely, a player he was unlikely to jump. On the other side, fellow young guards Eric Douglas and Jovaughn Gwyn were battling for a starting spot.

Then center Hank Manos struggled in his first game. Manos and Douglas got benched, Stanley slid down to center, and Rhodes, a third-year player who saw snaps in only four games a season ago, was forced into action.

It hasn’t been perfect, but he’s done enough to earn some praise Wednesday.

“He’s done a nice job,” Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said. “Jordan is a very powerful guy. Gets movement inside. He’s very athletic, really strong. He’s about 330-335 (pounds). He’s able to move people off the spot.

“Real pleased with how Jordan has done.”

Rhodes came to USC as a late add to the recruiting class started by Shawn Elliott and finished by Eric Wolford. He had played one season of football coming into college and was a bit of a project when he arrived.

Coming into the year, there was some concern about his and Gwyn’s knowledge and feel for the finer points of the offense, and at times that’s come to fruition. The front seemed to be on stable ground after games against Charleston Southern and Alabama, but in a hostile environment against Missouri, there was a step back.

Stanley said communication was an issue, and some of that stemmed from young guards trying to go fast and figure out the calls.

“I don’t think we were ready to play,” Stanley said. “I don’t think guys were communicating and we weren’t on the same page and it came back and bit us so that’s something we got to move forward and can’t let it happen again.”

He explained the calls radiate out, from him to the guards to the tackles and tight ends.

One thing Rhodes will help with is providing bulk against a massive UK front. The Wildcats go 290, 340, 309 in terms of pounds across the defensive front, and Rhodes is USC’s heaviest starter by eight pounds.

After the struggles on the road, Muschamp was asked how Rhodes had done this week and if there might be changes coming at his spot.

“Still feel pretty good about where we are,” Muschamp said.

This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 12:52 PM.