South Carolina losing multi-year starting O-lineman to transfer portal
South Carolina offensive lineman Jaylen Nichols has entered the transfer portal, a USC spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
He’s the 18th portal loss for the Gamecocks this cycle and third offensive lineman. Nichols is in the portal as a grad transfer, according to reports by 247Sports and On3.
Nichols missed the 2023 season due to knee injury sustained during Spring football. The 6-foot-5, 318-pound Charlotte, North Carolina, native appeared in 38 games over four years with the Gamecocks. He started in 18 of those contests — 11 times at left guard, four times at right tackle and three times at left tackle.
USC true freshman Tree Babalade played in 11 games and started nine for the Gamecocks this season at left tackle. Cason Henry, who started at right tackle at the beginning of the 2023 season but missing a couple months due to a knee injury, is also still with the program. South Carolina signed highly rated class of 2024 tackles Josiah Thompson (five stars) and Kam Pringle (four stars) on Wednesday.
South Carolina portal losses
QB Tanner Bailey
QB Colten Gauthier
RB Mario Anderson (Memphis)
OL JonDarius Morgan (UAB)
OL Grayson Mains
OL Jaylen Nichols
WR Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. (Ole Miss)
WR O’Mega Blake (East Carolina)
WR Landon Samson
WR Zavier Short
WR Kylic Horton
DL Xzavier McLeod
DL Felix Hixon
DL D’Andre Martin (Charlotte)
DL Donovan Westmoreland
DB Kajuan Banks
DB Isaiah Norris
K Mitch Jeter (Notre Dame)
This story was originally published December 20, 2023 at 12:25 PM.
