3 Gamecocks transferring to play for Dowell Loggains, App State football
Former South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is building out his first roster as the new head football coach at App State.
And it appears he’s creating a bit of a Columbia-to-Boone pipeline.
On Monday, App State announced the signing of three former South Carolina Gamecocks to its football program as transfers: Defensive back Emory Floyd, defensive lineman Rondarius Porter and linebacker Ronnie Porter.
Although Loggains did not coach any of those three players directly, there’s a natural connection between them considering they spent the past two seasons together as part of coach Shane Beamer’s South Carolina program in Columbia.
Loggains worked as USC’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2023-24 before accepting the App State job in December. The Mountaineers (based in Boone, NC) were seeking new leadership after firing Shawn Clark last fall.
App State football announced the signings of Floyd and the Porter brothers on its X (formerly Twitter) page on Monday afternoon. All three players had left South Carolina via the spring transfer portal window, which ran April 16-25 for football.
USC to App State transfers
None of those three players were major contributors for South Carolina and will try to make a carve out a greater role at App State, which competes in the Sun Belt Conference.
Floyd, a former four-star recruit, appeared in seven games over three seasons for USC at corner and also ran track. He dealt with a hamstring injury most of last season, played in just two games for South Carolina and recorded no stats.
Ronnie Porter originally joined South Carolina as a walk-on linebacker before being put on scholarship ahead of the 2024 season. He was a starter on various special teams units for the Gamecocks and played in all 13 games last season.
Defensive lineman Rondarius Porter, Ronnie’s younger brother, walked on at USC in 2024 after stints at Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry. He had seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble last year while appearing each of the team’s final eight games.
Floyd and the Porters are among nearly 30 transfers that Loggains has signed.
And the Mountaineers might not be done when it comes to former Gamecocks. Former South Carolina quarterback Dante Reno, who transferred after the spring game, has reportedly visited App State and his former position coach.
Loggains and App State also made an attempt to get in former South Carolina offensive tackle Kam Pringle’s recruitment, according to a report from GamecockCentral. Pringle ultimately committed to Syracuse on Tuesday.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM.
