South Carolina brings back much of its defense. What that means for 2022 Gamecocks
South Carolina’s offseason puzzle is molding into form.
Over the past two weeks, the Gamecocks have received word that five defenders from the 2021 squad will return to school for one more year. Receiver Josh Vann also announced his intentions to play another season.
For a defense that was ahead of schedule in defensive coordinator Clayton White’s first fall in Columbia, the returners may make all the difference in Year 2.
“We’ve taken some steps,” White said in November of how South Carolina’s defense had closed out games throughout the 2021 season. “I feel like some guys have — even the coaching staff — we’ve taken steps. We’ve grown closer together as a group. We want to continue to strive (to finish) at the end of games.”
South Carolina’s 2022 returners include defensive linemen Zacch Pickens and Jordan Strachan. Linebackers Brad Johnson and Sherrod Greene are also back. As is safety R.J. Roderick.
Of those names, four were starters last season. Strachan, too, played plenty of meaningful snaps in the rotation at defensive end/edge.
Strachan and Pickens’ returns are perhaps the biggest coups of the bunch. Both players had legitimate shots to be drafted, though another productive year in school stands to see both boost their potential pro grades. With Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare off to the NFL and Aaron Sterling out of eligibility, Strachan’s return gives the Gamecocks another foundational piece to go opposite former five-star recruit Jordan Burch on the exterior of South Carolina’s line.
Pickens is perhaps the most legitimate NFL prospect of the group coming back. The one-time five-star recruit has been a force in the middle at defensive tackle and is a likely candidate to scoop up the snaps vacated by senior Jabari Ellis.
“I don’t like to be labeled as a pass rusher,” Strachan said in August. “I’ve played football all my life. I can go get a ball. I had a lot of (tackles for a loss) last year as well. I can play the run pretty good, too, and cover a lot of guys my position, my size can’t.”
Johnson, Greene and Roderick’s returns also bode well for a unit that ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in pass defense.
Greene missed the bulk of the 2021 season after he suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 at Georgia. Assuming his rehab goes according to plan, he’s an experienced body that will slide right into the middle of the South Carolina defense.
In Greene’s absence, Johnson became an integral part of White’s first defense in Columbia. He finished the season second on the team in tackles — behind only All-American safety Jaylan Foster (more on him in a second) — while his 2.5 sacks tied for the third most on the roster.
“I can’t speak for other guys, but this past year at linebacker was a transition from playing D-line to linebacker,” Johnson explained in December. “So even though I’ve got a full season with me starting and got a lot of reps in, sometimes (scouts) want to see multiple years before you make that jump to the league.”
While the other four players returning might be flashier names, Roderick is a key cog in replacing Foster on the back end of the South Carolina defense.
It’s a difficult task for anyone to replicate Foster’s production from last season. Roderick, though, gives the Gamecocks a player who’s seen action in 37 games over the last three seasons.
South Carolina figures to be talented at safety again in 2022 with Roderick and Washington State transfer Tyrese Ross back in the fold. USC also landed a commitment from Central Michigan transfer Devonni Reed on Monday afternoon. Reed figures to slide into the spot left open by Foster.
South Carolina’s defense kept the Gamecocks in games down the stretch as the offense floundered. With offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield expected back and an influx of talent coming on that side of the ball in Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, among others, the defense shouldn’t be in the positions it was a season ago.
Throw in all the pieces returning and White has a group that could again be in the top half of the league.
Even just 12 days after the 2021 season concluded, South Carolina’s 2022 defense already has a pretty clear picture of what it might be next fall.
South Carolina 2022 projected defensive starters
- Edge/DE: Jordan Strachan, Jordan Burch
- Tackles: Zacch Pickens, Rick Sandidge*
- Linebackers: Brad Johnson, Sherrod Greene
- Safeties: Devonni Reed, R.J. Roderick
- Corners: Cam Smith, Darius Rush
*Hasn’t announced a return to South Carolina
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
