Veteran South Carolina offensive lineman set to enter transfer portal
South Carolina is set to lose another offensive lineman to the transfer portal.
Offensive lineman Rodney Newsom Jr. plans to enter the transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos reported Monday morning. Newsom would need to be granted a seventh year of eligibility in order to play in 2026.
Newsom spent just one season with the Gamecocks. He started in three of the 11 games he played in for South Carolina in 2025. Newsom’s Pro Football Focus gade for overall offense was a 48.7. His PFF grade for run blocking was a 46.8 and his grade for pass blocking was a 54.2 Newsome played 223 snaps on offense for the Gamecocks this season, according to PFF.
Newsom was a sixth year player in 2025 for the Gamecocks. He started his career in 2020 at Memphis where he redshirted his freshman year and eventually left in the middle of the 2022 season. Newsom was an all-conference player at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College in 2023 during his redshirt junior season. In 2024, Newsome started 11 games for Western Kentucky.
Newsom is the 11th scholarship Gamecock to announce their intentions to hit the portal. He’s the fifth offensive lineman to do so.
South Carolina transfer portal losses
Accounting only for scholarship players
- TE Michael Smith
- WR Brian Rowe Jr.
- OL Nick Sharpe
- OL Trovon Baugh
- OL Cason Henry
- OL Tree Babalade
- DL Zavion Hardy
- LB Jaron Willis
- LB Taeshawn Alston
- DB Myles Norwood
- OL Rodney Newsom Jr.
