Which Gamecocks will walk, and who won’t, Saturday on USC football senior day
They could all come back, but for the moment, the auguring that takes place around South Carolina football’s senior day will be reversed to a degree.
Normally, a junior or redshirt junior walking means they’re going pro or pursuing other options. This year, a senior not walking might point to them taking advantage of an extra season afforded to them by the NCAA during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gamecocks coach Mike Bobo said the players won’t be able to walk with their families, but they will take a group picture. Their families will be shown in the stands.
Here are the USC players set to walk according to the school’s game notes:
▪ Running back Slade Carroll (redshirt senior)
▪ Athlete Chandler Farrell (redshirt senior)
▪ Guard Sadarius Hutcherson (redshirt senior)
▪ Punter Christian Kinsley (redshirt senior)
▪ Tight end Nick Muse (senior)
▪ Fullback Adam Prentice (Grad transfer sixth-year senior)
▪ Wide receiver Shi Smith (senior)
▪ Kicker Parker White (redshirt senior)
That leaves this group of players with senior eligibility not walking.
▪ Quarterback Collin Hill
▪ Defensive lineman Keir Thomas
▪ Safety Jaylan Foster
▪ Linebacker Spencer Eason-Riddle
▪ Defensive tackle Jabari Ellis
▪ Defensive end Aaron Sterling
▪ Linebacker Damani Staley
▪ Linebacker Sherrod Greene
Not walking isn’t a guarantee those last eight are returning, but it suggests it’s at least a possibility. That group includes seven players who started games this season.
Ellis and Foster said Tuesday they’d not yet decided if they’ll return. Staley said the the preseason he planned to.
Bobo noted that many of the discussions of whether to come back or not next season were had with former coach Will Muschamp before the season, after the NCAA made its ruling.
“We’ve got a list of guys that have said they’re going to come back,” Bobo said. “I think that’ll be a conversation for the new head coach to have with those guys.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 10:55 AM.
