Massive addition to Gamecocks football has sights set on chasing starting spot
When South Carolina football‘s early enrollee freshmen were introduced at halftime of a basketball game, one‘s eyes moved along the row of large, sturdily built ball players. And among that group of big individuals, one stood about half a head taller than the rest.
Jazston Turnetine is a hard man to miss, and the offensive tackle is hoping his work this spring can catch attention like his size does.
At 6-6, 337 pounds, the Stockbridge, Georgia native could add something new to the Gamecocks’ offensive line room. He spent the past two seasons in junior college, and he aims to break into South Carolina’s starting lineup and something more.
“My common goal when I get up there is to start working towards the goal of at least leadership-wise, bringing everyone up,” Turnetine said. “If I can’t do that, I’ll just push for the goal of obtaining a ring.”
He said he spent the past year working on his feet and his hand speed. Playing at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, he anchored an offense that averaged 44.8 points per game and 5.5 yards per carry.
The last time South Carolina dipped into the junior college ranks for an offensive lineman, they landed Dennis Daley. He took over as starting left tackle, and after two years in Columbia, was taken in the fifth round of the NFL draft.
Turnetine might well have the ability to take a similar road, and he steps into an interesting situation at South Carolina‘s tackle spot.
Sadarius Hutcherson, who Turnetine hosted on his visit and the only Gamecock he said he knew well before enrolling, projects to leave the left tackle spot after starting there last season. Hutcherson is moving to guard and Turnetine hopes they can line up next to each other this coming season.
Turnetine getting to know Columbia, his teammates
Dylan Wonnum was the other starting tackle last year, and after a season and a half with the top group certainly seems likely to hold onto one of the two starting spots. Turnetine could find himself battling a pair of second-year lineman who started games in 2019 in Jakai Moore and Jaylen Nichols. Gamecocks coaches praised the talent of both players but each had his share freshman moments.
And while they had a trial by fire in the SEC, Turnetine’s junior college route tested him in a different way.
“Everyone came there for one goal and one goal only,” Turnetine said. “It was like, just get out. Everyone had to either hurt someone and get out or try their best to get out regardless. It was everyone’s one goal. But we all became like brothers because everyone was from like every part of the US, even across the sea sometimes. So it was just within that time period when we got to know each other and we all fought for one common goal.”
Hutcherson is remote to say the least, far from home in Georgia and really far from anywhere. Turnetine said he’s less worried than most about the challenge of the SEC, even has he jumps up a level.
He doesn’t know Columbia particularly well, but he did have a few people to give him a preview. Three of his teammates in junior college are from South Carolina in J.J. Richardson out of Greenville, Sebastian Garcia from Greer and Timmy Jamison from West Columbia.
“They couldn’t wait for me to come up here and play so they can at least cheer me on,” Turnetine said.
His last year was spent coming back from an ankle injury, and he said leading into his enrollment, he had focused on endurance with the knowledge that the USC strength staff would help him on that front when he arrived.
Turnetine sounded a bit apprehensive about the social side of things when he arrived on campus. He spoke of himself as sometimes being a loner, and wondering if he as a junior college player would get along with four-year guys.
“I know I’m going to be a new guy there and like I won’t know no one,” Turnetine said. “The only person on the team I know is Hutch. But other than that, I don’t know anyone else besides the coaches.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 8:43 AM.
