Brandon Cisse earns new nickname from Gamecocks thanks to speed, versatility
Brandon Cisse’s talents have earned him a nickname from his new teammates at South Carolina.
“Glitch.”
Cisse transferred to South Carolina from NC State this offseason and arrived in Columbia in January. The defensive back earned the nickname because of his speed, fellow Gamecock DB Gerald Kilgore said this week.
“We gave him a new nickname because of how fast he is and just the tempo that he plays with is ridiculous,” Kilgore said.
It wasn’t just Kilgore who sang the praises of Cisse’s speed this week. South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White emphasized it as well and defensive back Vicari Swain called Cisse “freakishly athlete.”
“I think one quality of the defensive back room is speed, burst and change of direction, and (Cisse) has all three of those,” White said.
While Cisse’s speed is impressive, the versatility of the 6-foot, 190 pound defensive back stands out the most to White. Cisse’s skillset is reminiscent of that of Cam Smith — a former Gamecock who excelled at corner and nickelback for the Gamecocks from 2019-2022 before being drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
“Brandon Cisse is a guy who can play inside and outside, at the corner and the nickel hole,” White said. “So that’s always hard to find. Kind of gives me a little reminder, a little bit of what Cam Smith did for us and those years that he was here. So that’s fun to have, and that really helps us out.”
The Sumter, South Carolina native totaled 38 tackles, five pass breakups and one interception in two seasons with NC State. White said his athletic ability, combined with his football IQ, makes him a versatile player who can be placed in different spots on the field.
“Not many teams have that,” White said. “We’ve only had it a couple of times here to have that kind of player, but it means a lot to be able to do that. So it just helps us at the end of games. It helps if someone goes down. If a team has a dynamic slot we want to put (Jalon) Kilgore other places. So it’s fun. It makes it fun for a coordinator and position coach as well.”
Coach Shane Beamer described Cisse as a “football junkie” and recalled getting texts with questions from him early on Saturday mornings while he was watching film of former Gamecock great Stephon Gilmore.
“That’s who he is,” Beamer said. “He loves football. He’s really smart, and that’s been a great addition to not just our secondary and not just our defense, but our football team … his mentality, the way that he practices, the speed that he plays with. I think he’s getting ready to have a really, really productive year for us.”
Cisse will have to battle with other talented defensive backs for a starting spot in 2025. Swain said Cisse has made “all of us better” throughout the competition in camp.
“I think it’s been great competition,” Cisse said at media day last month. “I think it’s a lot of elite corners that all want to play. So we all push each other, but also having respect for each other, that we all want to see each other be great.”
