Practice report: Dante Sawyer adds heft to USC’s defensive tackle battle

When Dante Sawyer graduated from North Gwinnett High in Suwanee, Ga., in 2014, he was a 265-pound defensive end. When he showed up this summer at South Carolina after one year at junior college, he was a 282-pound defensive tackle.

That is fine with the Gamecocks.

“The No. 1 position you want to recruit in this scheme that (first-year co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke) has is a three technique,” co-defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said. “That guy has to be dominant. He’s going to be in a lot of one-on-one situations. That works well for us to have a guy like Dante, who was recruited as an end but weighs 280 pounds and can move. It’s a good position for him to be in.”

The 6-foot-3 Sawyer played both end and tackle at East Mississippi Community College, he said. The three technique typically lines up in the gap between the offensive guard and tackle rather than outside the tackle like a defensive end.

“I kind of had an idea I was going to be playing inside when I came from JUCO,” Sawyer said. “It doesn’t matter as long as I’m getting on the field. I put more muscle on when I came in during my freshman year at JUCO and then I put on more muscle here, so it’s going to work out well in the long run.”

Sawyer, junior Kelsey Griffin, junior college transfer Ulric Jones and Taylor Stallworth (who practiced for the first time Monday) are rotating at the three technique spot, Sawyer said.

English improving

Junior defensive end Darius English (6-6, 225) is improving after a quiet first two seasons, Ward said. English has 1.5 sacks in two seasons.

“Darius has quietly had a good camp so far. Right now, he is second team,” Ward said. “He’ll have to do it in a game as well, but he has shown us he can help us.”

Injury update

Stallworth (pectoral muscle) and defensive end Gerald Dixon (leg) practiced for the first time this preseason Monday. Both missed most of spring practice due to their injuries. Offensive lineman Malik Young (ankle) also returned to practice.

Safety Antoine Wilder (knee), tight end Connor Redmond (back) and kicker Joseph Charlton (back) sat out Monday’s practice.

Quotable

“We worked our tails off during the summer. We stayed on each other, and we didn’t let anything slide. We have a great chemistry this year. We hang out a lot more together.” – senior defensive tackle Gerald Dixon Jr.

This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 6:40 PM.