2 assistant coaches, defensive starter not spotted at USC bowl practice
South Carolina held its second practice on the ground in Charlotte on Monday ahead of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina later this week.
Head coach Shane Beamer’s squad capped the year with a 6-6 record to reach the six-win bowl eligibility threshold for the first time since the 2018 season.
Here’s what we saw on Monday at Charlotte Christian School:
- Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray and receivers coach Justin Stepp were both absent from the portion open to media members. It’s not immediately clear why neither coach wasn’t at the session.
- Analyst Ahmad Smith coached the defensive backs in place of Gray on Monday. Smith previously worked with defensive coordinator Clayton White at Western Kentucky. He played linebacker and defensive end at Indiana State as an undergrad.
- Running back MarShawn Lloyd was not a full participant on during Monday’s media viewing session. Lloyd worked through agility drills with the strength and conditioning staff and did not have shoulder pads on, like the rest of the team.
- Edge lineman Jordan Strachan was not spotted at practice. Strachan transferred to South Carolina from Georgia State where he finished tied for the national lead in sacks in 2020. Strachan could conceivably leave for the NFL draft, though his plans have yet to be announced. He recorded 20 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks this year.
- Quarterbacks Zeb Noland and Colten Gauthier were the only healthy signal-callers taking snaps during the open portion of Monday’s practice. Beamer announced Noland would be the starter for the bowl game last week following Jason Brown’s decision to transfer from the program.
- Quarterback Luke Doty was at practice in a walking boot as he continues to rehab from a foot injury that ended his season after South Carolina’s win over Vanderbilt. Also present but not practicing Monday was Charlotte defensive lineman Rick Sandidge, who has missed the 2021 season with an injury he suffered during fall camp.
- Other Gamecocks who did not participate in practice on Monday included tackle Dylan Wonnum — who’s expected to miss the rest of the season with an injury — safety Jaylin Dickerson and defensive back Joey Hunter. Dickerson was walking around the field with a boot and it’s unclear whether he’ll play in the bowl game.
- Tight end Jaheim Bell wore a blue jersey during practice on Monday. Reserve defensive linemen Will Rogers and Devontae Davis were also in yellow non-contact jerseys.
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 10:01 AM.
Ben Portnoy
The State