South Carolina running back in transfer portal
Deshaun Fenwick, South Carolina’s second-leading rusher, has entered the transfer portal, a team spokesman confirmed to The State.
Fenwick appeared in eight games this season, backing up star running back Kevin Harris. He racked up 297 yards and a touchdown on the year, as well as catching 14 passes for 108 yards. His top performance of the season came against Ole Miss, when he tallied 82 yards on just nine carries.
Going into the year, Fenwick was expected to compete for touches behind star freshman MarShawn Lloyd. When Lloyd went down for the season with a torn ACL in training camp, Fenwick earned some praise from the coaching staff but ultimately lost out on the starting job to Harris.
And while Harris emerged as one of the best backs in the conference and the country, Fenwick established himself as the clear No. 2 ahead of junior college transfer Zaquandre White and freshman Rashad Amos. He also was a fierce defender of embattled coach Will Muschamp, saying at one point that he’d “do anything for him.”
Fenwick’s loyalty to Muschamp was cemented during his redshirt season, when he considered transferring last season because of the logjam of tailbacks for USC. He and Muschamp had a heart-to-heart conversation, and Fenwick listened to the advice his coach had in that meeting and decided to stick it out.
A year later, when Fenwick posted a season-high 102 yards against Vanderbilt, the Bradenton, Florida, native remarked that ”sometimes life is hard and it is what you do in hard situations.”
Heading into 2021 under new head coach Shane Beamer, Fenwick was facing a crowded backfield with the return of Lloyd and the arrival of freshman Caleb McDowell.
In three seasons at South Carolina, Fenwick rushed for 523 yards and two touchdowns. He appeared in 15 games and got 97 total carries, for an average of 5.4 yards per rush.
Without Fenwick, South Carolina is set to have five scholarship running backs next year — Harris, Lloyd, Amos, White and McDowell.
South Carolina football roster tracker 2021
NOT COMING BACK OR LIKELY NOT COMING BACK
Declared for the NFL Draft
Israel Mukuamu — junior cornerback
Jaycee Horn — junior cornerback
Ernest Jones — junior linebacker
Shi Smith — senior wide receiver
Sadarius Hutcherson — senior offensive lineman
Seniors who walked on Senior Day
Will Register — tight end
Chandler Farrell — tight end/defensive lineman
Adam Prentice — fullback
Keir Thomas — defensive lineman
Transfers out
Makius Scott — freshman defensive lineman (going to Georgia Tech)
Shilo Sanders — redshirt freshman defensive back (going to Jackson State)
John Dixon — sophomore defensive back (going to Penn State)
Transfer portal
Ryan Hilinski — sophomore quarterback
Jammie Robinson — sophomore defensive back
Deshaun Fenwick — redshirt sophomore running back
COULD BE COMING BACK (11)
Opt-outs (4)
Randrecous Davis — junior wide receiver
OrTre Smith — junior wide receiver
Mark Fox — redshirt freshman offensive lineman
R.J. Roderick — junior defensive back
Seniors who didn’t walk on Senior Day (7)
Collin Hill — quarterback
Jaylan Foster — defensive back
Spencer Eason-Riddle — linebacker
Aaron Sterling — defensive lineman
Damani Staley — linebacker
Sherrod Greene — linebacker
Nick Muse — tight end (Note: Muse participated in Senior Day activities, but when asked if he planned to return, he said he wasn’t sure and added that if position coach Bobby Bentley returned, he would too.)
SET TO COME BACK (58)
Quarterback (1)
Luke Doty, freshman
Running back (4)
Kevin Harris, sophomore
Rashad Amos, freshman
MarShawn Lloyd, freshman
ZaQuandre White, redshirt junior
Wide receiver (8)
Josh Vann, junior
Dakereon Joyner, redshirt sophomore
Xavier Legette, sophomore
Jalen Brooks, junior
Rico Powers, freshman
Ger-Cari Caldwell, freshman
Chad Terrell, redshirt junior
Mike Wyman, freshman
Trey Adkins, redshirt sophomore (walk-on)
Ben Rollins, freshman (walk-on)
Tight end (5)
Traevon Kenion, redshirt freshman
Jaheim Bell, freshman
Eric Shaw, freshman
Keveon Mullins, redshirt freshman
KeShawn Toney, redshirt freshman
Offensive line (14)
Jordan Rhodes, redshirt junior
Eric Douglas, redshirt junior
Dylan Wonnum, junior
Jazston Turnetine, junior
Jaylen Nichols, sophomore
Jovaughn Gwyn, redshirt sophomore
Jakai Moore, redshirt freshman
Tyshawn Wannamaker, freshman
Hank Manos, redshirt sophomore
Trai Jones, freshman
Vincent Murphy, redshirt freshman
Vershon Lee, freshman
Wyatt Campbell, redshirt sophomore
Will Rogers, redshirt freshman
Defensive line (14)
Jabari Ellis, senior
Jordan Burch, freshman
Brad Johnson, redshirt junior
Rodricus Fitten, redshirt freshman
Gilber Edmond, freshman
Zacch Pickens, sophomore
Kingsley Enagbare, junior
Rick Sandidge, junior
Tonka Hemingway, freshman
Tyreek Johnson, redshirt sophomore
Joseph Anderson, redshirt freshman
M.J. Webb, redshirt junior
Alex Huntley, freshman
Devontae Davis, redshirt junior
Linebacker (3)
Mohamed Kaba, freshman
Jahmar Brown, sophomore
Rosendo Louis Jr., redshirt sophomore
Noah Vincent (walk-on), redshirt sophomore
Darryle Ware (walk-on), freshman
Defensive back (6)
Jaylin Dickerson, redshirt junior
Cam Smith, redshirt freshman
Joey Hunter, freshman
Dominick Hill, freshman
O’Donnell Fortune, freshman
Darius Rush, redshirt sophomore
Specialist (3)
Parker White, senior, kicker
Kai Kroeger, freshman, punter
Mitch Jeter, freshman, kicker
INCOMING (11)
Commitments (10)
Colton Gauthier — quarterback
Caleb McDowell — running back
O’Mega Blake — wide receiver
Sam Reynolds — wide receiver
JonDarius Morgan — offensive lineman
Jordan Davis — offensive lineman
T.J. Sanders — defensive lineman
Nicholas Barrett — defensive lineman
Marcellas Dial — defensive back
Isaiah Norris — defensive back
Transfers (1)
Ahmarean Brown — wide receiver (coming from Georgia Tech)
This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 8:05 PM.