Gamecocks went searching for next Jaylan Foster. They found Devonni Reed
Jaylan Foster left big shoes to fill in his final year playing at South Carolina.
The walk-on turned second-team Walter Camp All-American had the best season of his career in 2021, tying for fourth in the country after snagging five interceptions. Upon graduation, Foster left a big hole on and off the field.
Defensive coordinator Clayton White and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray think they might have found his replacement — Central Michigan transfer Devonni Reed.
“I spent the whole month of January basically trying to find a guy who I thought was the closest to (Foster) and can come in and get with us. ... We found Devonni Reed,” White said.
Reed played four years at Central Michigan and transferred to South Carolina in January. He was a four-year starter with the Chippewas, with 287 career tackles and three interceptions. The graduate transfer was also named to several All-Mid-American Conference teams the last two seasons.
White made the comparison of Foster and Reed after Shane Beamer’s media golf outing on Thursday, saying that “no one’s the same person, but he’s the closest thing that we can find.”
Gray doubled down on White’s take, saying that he can already see the similarities between the two players.
“When you’re talking about a guy who’s experienced, a guy who carries himself like a professional, that’s what Jaylan Foster brought to the table,” Gray told The State. “Devonni gives us a guy that comes in, he’s played a lot of football, carries himself like a professional on and off the field, in and out the building — and those were Foster’s strengths.”
The depth of the South Carolina secondary unit, specifically the safeties, desperately needed attention after Foster’s departure. Beamer said it’s something the team will focus on in fall camp.
“Certainly the depth at safety for us is something we’ve got to figure out during preseason camp,” Beamer said. “We lost Jaylan Foster, we bring back RJ Roderick to that position and there’s a lot of unknowns beyond that. That battle during preseason camp, I think, will be very critical, just trying to figure out who are our other safeties and who can we count on to play.”
Reed will likely have a shot at getting plenty of playing time this fall, whether he’s a starter or not. For now, it seems that expectations are high and he’ll have to prove he’s capable when camp starts next week.
“If he’s able to produce and play like Foster, that would be freaking remarkable,” Gray said. “So that part is, you know, yet to (be) seen, but we love what he brings to the room.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 8:20 AM.
