South Carolina linebacker announces plans to enter transfer portal

South Carolina is losing a reserve linebacker to the transfer portal.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Taeshawn Alston is entering the portal, his agents told On3 Sports on Wednesday. Alston signed with USC and Shane Beamer in the 2025 class and didn’t appear in a game during his freshman season.

Alston, a scholarship player, will have four years of eligibility remaining at his next school. He signed with the Gamecocks as a three-star recruit out of Vance County (NC) High School and ranked as the country’s No. 728 overall recruit.

Alston is USC’s ninth scholarship portal departure heading into 2026.

South Carolina football 2025 portal entries

Among scholarship players

• TE Michael Smith
• WR Brian Rowe Jr.
• DL Zavion Hardy
• LB Jaron Willis
• OL Nick Sharpe
• OL Trovon Baugh
• OL Cason Henry
• OL Tree Babalade
• LB Taeshawn Alston

Chapel Fowler

The State

Chapel Fowler, the NSMA’s 2024 South Carolina Sportswriter of the Year, has covered Clemson football and other topics for The State since summer 2022. His work’s also been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the South Carolina Press Association and the North Carolina Press Association. He’s a Denver, N.C., native, a UNC-Chapel Hill alum and a pickup basketball enthusiast. Support my work with a digital subscription