Practice Report: Gamecocks veteran expects young linemen to be ‘ready to play’
Aaron Sterling was called upon to play for South Carolina’s football team as a true freshman, working his way into the rotation from Game 1.
As he spoke to South Carolina’s sports communications staff on video Monday following a practice, the now-senior predicted some of this new teammates would have to do the same.
“We got a couple guys,” Sterling said. “We got (Jordan) Burch. We got (Alex) Huntley. We got Tonka (Hemingway), we got (Makius) Scott. Bunch of young guys that are going to have to get ready to play this year. Coach is preparing them, so I think they’re going to come out and have them a good little freshman year.”
That set of four freshmen includes a five-star recruit in Burch and a pair of four stars in Hemingway and Huntley. Early video released by the school showed Hemingway and Scott getting some work with the second-team defense.
This year’s practices are closed to fans and media because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the Will Muschamp era, South Carolina hasn’t been shy about playing true freshman on the defensive line, even if the coach does lament not being able to redshirt players such as J.J. Enagbare and Rick Sandidge. On South Carolina’s current roster, only three defensive linemen redshirted as freshmen, and for the most part the biggest contributors haven’t sat that year when healthy.
Sterling also said on the other side, freshman offensive lineman Vershon Lee has impressed.
The offseason featured a bit of a boomerang feeling for Sterling. At points, he was unsure if he’d even get to have a senior year at all. But now he’s not only in line for one, assuming the SEC’s plan to play football sticks, but he also could come back next year after the NCAA extended every player a free year of eligibility.
Asked about that, Sterling said he’d thought about it but didn’t go into detail about his plans.
A little brotherly love
Offensive tackle Dylan Wonnum said he and his brother D.J. had a bit of a running joke last season. Against Missouri, D.J. Wonnum as South Carolina’s starting Buck intercepted a pass and took it down to the 1-yard line before getting knocked out of bounds.
South Carolina scored on the next play, but Dylan Wonnum got his ankle bent in a bad way. He played throughout, but ultimately missed the next five games.
If D.J. had scored, maybe Dylan sidesteps that injury.
In April, the pair got to share a little brotherly moment as D.J. was taken in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
“That day, I kind of woke up late,” Dylan Wonnum said. “And so when I came downstairs, everyone was down there.”
He hadn’t quite realized everything was going to come together that early in the day.
“I had to go back upstairs. I tried to go change. By the time I go change, I hear everybody screaming. I ran downstairs and he had gotten the call. I missed it, but I didn’t at the same time.”
He added that D.J. told him it’s been a bit of a grind so far at Vikings camp.
Other camp tidbits
▪ In a school news release, Muschamp said some drops and missed chances marred the day on offense, but the energy was good. The team went through a red zone and pressure period.
▪ In video the school released, Dylan Wonnum got a bit of work at left guard, a spot Sadarius Hutcherson is expected to hold.
▪ Based on photos the school released, wide receiver Xavier Legette was back practicing after being sidelined by a sprained ankle. Athletic director Ray Tanner and school President Robert Caslen were also in attendance.
