South Carolina D-lineman announces plans to transfer
South Carolina Gamecocks junior defensive lineman Zavion Hardy plans to enter the portal when it officially opens in January, he announced Thursday on X/Twitter.
Hardy transferred into South Carolina this January after spending his first two collegiate years with East Mississippi Community College, where he earned all-conference honors.
With the Gamecocks this season, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Georgia native only played in one game (against Coastal Carolina) and was never able to make an impact.
He’s the third known South Carolina football player who’ve announced plans to transfer, joining defensive lineman Nick Sharpe and tight end Michael Smith, who announced he was leaving the Gamecocks back in October.
When Hardy arrived at South Carolina this winter, it was thought of as this great coming-home story. He was originally committed to the Gamecocks out of high school in 2023, but academic issues forced him to take the junior-college route.
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 11:33 AM.
