Gamecocks spring practice: Fred Johnson standing out. New spot for one offensive lineman
South Carolina was back on the practice field Thursday for the fourth time this spring. It was just the second morning, though, where the Gamecocks were running around in pads.
Here are a few observations:
- We heard plenty toward the end of last season about linebacker Fred “JayR” Johnson, with coaches and players basically tabbing him as the next man up with the losses of Demetrius Knight, Debo Williams and Bam Martin-Scott. And Johnson is hard to miss in practice. He was flying around Thursday. Even when he was in between a drill, he stood out. He is 6-foot-3, 244 pounds with quads that looked like redwoods.
- We saw the offensive linemen working in the distance, so it was tough to tell who exactly was lining up at what position. But, based upon a video last week and talking with him, it seems OL Tree Babalade is going to be playing guard. That’s notable for a few reasons: 1. He’s never played guard before; 2. He started nine games at left tackle as a freshman; 3. With Josiah Thompson at LT, it might be Babalade’s best chance to play.
- After a drill, with a bunch of defenders standing together, edge Dylan Stewart was heard yelling at some teammates finishing some drills. It was hard to hear what he said, but it seemed positive. Off the field, Stewart is extremely shy, but defensive coordinator Clayton White mentioned he’s become more vocal as a sophomore. You can already see that.
- The only player wearing a blue, non-contact jersey was CB Emory Floyd.
- We still didn’t see CB Vicari Swain, who is out indefinitely as he tends to academic issues.
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 12:22 PM.
Jordan Kaye
The State