Time is arriving for young players to step up in middle of Gamecocks defense
On one hand, South Carolina is losing the veteran voice at the heart of its linebacker group. On the other, it has just about everyone else back. On that first hand, there’s a fair amount of need for more players to step up, but on the second, there are plenty of veterans in line for that challenge.
In short, the middle of the Gamecocks defense goes into 2020 with something that’s been missing for a while.
“The maturity of the room is something that we hadn’t had in a couple years as a unit,” T.J. Brunson, a three-year starter who finished his senior year in 2019, said. “Those guys take things seriously. We always had fun with and stuff, but they understand the work that you have to put in before you start thinking about having fun. So, I mean, Ernest (Jones), Sherrod (Greene), Rosendo (Louis), Damani (Staley), I’m excited. I know those guys put in the work this offseason. They’re going to do what they can do, bring everything together from that one room alone.”
Brunson, the team’s second-leading tackler as the weakside player in 2019, is the only big loss. Freshman Derek Boykins also left during the season.
Jones ascended to a starting role as a sophomore last season, piling up 97 tackles, 5 1/2 for loss, with two interceptions and became a vocal leader for the group. Greene bounced back from a highly inconsistent 2018 sophomore season on the weakside and emerged as a starter-quality player at the stongside spot, often meaning the team played three linebackers rather than five defensive backs.
That pair likely will be either the top two or two of the top three at the position next season, but they’ll have some backing.
Staley will be a senior, a former defensive end who has at least been a rotation option for several years. Louis was projected to have a rotation role as a true freshman in 2018, but ended up with very small roles each of the past two seasons. He often drew offseason praise as a hitter and is on the bigger side at 250 pounds.
That’s to say nothing of rising sophomore Jahmar Brown, who added more than 20 pounds before his first season and broke into a rotation role as a true freshman.
With Jones slotted in the middle, the weakside (the other full-time linebacker spot) will be one to watch with Greene’s history there and Brown’s early moments of success.
The team’s only newcomers are Mohamed Kaba, a taller, athletic prospect coming off a torn ACL, a late signee in Gilber Edmond and walk-on Darryle Ware, who at one point had some ACC interest. So it’s mostly on those veterans with the middle layer of experience — a year or two in the rotation, but not established in larger roles.
Brunson was once given the mantle of leader in the middle by Skai Moore. Now he too hands off the responsibility to players he trusts.
“They understand the situations that we were in, what was expected of them and what we expect from them,” Brunson said. “They’re going to take that step, help this team elevate and go where it needs to be.”
