Starting USC edge rusher enters transfer portal

Another South Carolina football player is transferring.

Starting USC edge rusher Gilber Edmond entered the portal Thursday, a school spokesperson confirmed to The State. The news was first reported by Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Edmond also confirmed the news via Twitter.

He’s the 10th South Carolina player to enter the portal this offseason.

Edmond started 10 of 12 games for South Carolina in 2022 and led the team with nine tackles for loss. He was second on the team with nine quarterback hurries and also had 39 total tackles and two sacks.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Edmond, a redshirt sophomore, enters the portal having played in 21 games for South Carolina over three seasons. He’s a former three-star recruit from Fort Pierce, Florida.

Edmond is the most productive defensive player from South Carolina’s 2022 defense to enter the portal to date and will have immediate eligibility at his next school. He wrote on Twitter on Thursday that he’d decided to transfer “after careful conversations with my family and God.”

Edmond appeared in two games while redshirting his 2020 true freshman season. He also played minimally in 2021, recording three total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in seven games.

But he set career highs across the board in 2022 amid injuries to fellow USC linebackers/edge rushers Jordan Strachan, Terrell Dawkins and Mohamed Kaba. Edmond started his first career game against Georgia on Sept. 17 and developed into an every-game starter at edge across from Jordan Burch.

With Edmond off the team, junior Tyreek Johnson and true freshman Bryan Thomas Jr. could see more playing time at edge rusher in the Gator Bowl against Notre Dame. Those two players were listed as the top backups behind Burch and Edmond, respectively, on South Carolina’s latest depth chart.

No. 19 South Carolina (8-4) plays the No. 21 Fighting Irish in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30 in Jacksonville.

Gamecocks in the transfer portal

Each player’s landing spot is listed in parentheses

EDGE Gilber Edmond — Dec. 15

WR Corey Rucker — Dec. 14

RB MarShawn Lloyd — Dec. 12

DB Tyrese Ross — Dec. 6

TE Jaheim Bell — Dec. 5 (Florida State)

TE Austin Stogner — Dec. 5 (Oklahoma)

LB Darryle Ware — Dec. 5

DB Joey Hunter — Dec. 5

OL Jordan Davis — Nov. 30

DB R.J. Roderick — Oct. 17

The State’s Lou Bezjak contributed reporting.

This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 3:39 PM.