Incoming Gamecock is getting bigger fast, and he ‘lives in the backfield’
Gilber Edmond isn’t on South Carolina’s campus for obvious reasons. But that’s not preventing him from learning from his future Gamecocks position coach.
Edmond was the last member of USC’s 2020 recruiting class. A signing day commit, he’s a raw talent to say the least — tall, still adding weight. He can’t enroll until players are allowed back on campus amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But he is already deeply involved in digesting the scheme he’s about to step into.
“They have us in Zoom meetings, they sent us playbooks,” Edmond said. “I break down film with coach (Mike) Peterson with the Bucks and outside linebackers.”
Working with the Bucks is a bit notable because on signing day Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said he expected Edmond to start out as an inside linebacker.
Instead, the freshman from Florida will get to start out at a somewhat familiar position as an outside pass rusher. He did that his final season of high school, and felt like he took to it.
“I live in the backfield,” Edmond said. “I’m very quick off the ball. I have a good first step
“Being disruptive in the backfield. Always getting to the quarterback. Even when I don’t get the sack, I definitely get a lot of pressures.”
Edmond said he’s been liking Peterson, as the way the coach teaches fits the way he likes to learn. The incoming freshman also pulls up games on Youtube to watch how players at his new position operated.
How he found his way to football and playing defense in particular didn’t exactly follow the usual path.
“I wasn’t really into sports, going into high school,” Edmond said.
He grew up wanting to play football, but had never really done it. He didn’t even play as a freshman. And the spring of his his first year of high school, he was playing baseball despite some pressure from a friend to come out.
“I was leaving practice and football practice had just ended,” Edmond siad. “And I saw one of my close friends ... (working out with a coach). They were working out after practice, and then I was cutting through their practice. They were like, ‘You should come play football’
“I was like, I always wanted to. I don’t see why not.”
He signed up, had his physical the next day. He quit baseball, found a little more fun on the gridiron.
For two years, he caught balls from quarterbacks, rather than chase them. He described himself as a “physical” wide receiver, but was tall at 6-foot-4 and skinny (he also played a little defense).
Then came a coaching change. Incoming coach Jeff George needed two pass rushers and watching Edmond, who had grown to 195-200 pounds, in receiver drills, he saw something.
“He was like, you could really kill it as a pass rusher,” Edmond said. “So he moved me over to full-time to D-end after the spring game.”
Then Edmond capped a senior season with 80 tackles, 22 for loss, and 17 sacks. He scored four defensive touchdowns.
He’s in a good position compared to many athletes in the pandemic, as he managed to get his hands on a set of weights. He lifts in his backyard every other day and also does conditioning on the beach with his high school coach.
He’s been able to bulk up from a listed 208 pounds on signing day to 222 pounds, and he has bigger goals ahead.
“Before the semester, before I enroll, it was to probably get up to at least 230, maybe like 235,” Edmond said. “Basically come in as in-shape as possible.”
He’ll join a position in a bit of transition. Longtime starter D.J. Wonnum was picked in the fourth-round of the NFL Draft. Last year’s backup, Brad Johnson, missed most of the year because of injury, and the No. 3 player was also a senior.
Johnson is back, along with second-year player Rod Fitten, who redshirted last year. Five-star Jordan Burch will also be in the mix at Buck, Muschamp said.
Indications are the team could be back on campus in the next month, though Edmond didn’t know for sure. He expected to enroll soon after the restrictions are lifted.
“The message now is stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” Edmond said. “Just staying prepared.”
