Why Gamecocks are at a disadvantage to land Temple grad transfer as he nears decision
Former Temple defensive end Arnold Ebiketie is one of the prime prospects in the graduate transfer portal, and he’s talked with South Carolina defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.
The Gamecocks would have a lot to sell Ebiketie (6-4 240) on — a starting job, the SEC, graduate school opportunities — but they don’t have a defensive coordinator. And justifiably, that’s a big concern for the second-team All-AAC performer.
“I talked to their D-line coach a couple of times, and he told me about the fact they are hiring a new defensive coordinator,” Ebiketie said. “We talked about getting me into the program. For me, the concern is not knowing the type of defense they are going to run. I wouldn’t want to get myself involved with something like that if I have no idea.
“The coaches really don’t have an idea who their defensive coordinator is. That’s kind of why I’ve started to narrow down to a couple of schools that’s coming down to my final decision. I wasn’t really so high on South Carolina because of that factor.”
With only one season of college ball, Ebiketie wants to play in a system that fits his skills and will help prepare him for what he hope will be an NFL career.
“I’m more of a 4-3 guy,” Ebiketie said. “Time to time, I like to move around a little bit just to show my versatility. I kind of want to show all that package as I transition to the next level.”
If Ebiketie would wait on his decision, he might find what he’s looking for in a scheme with the Gamecocks, based on what he heard from Rocker.
“The way the conversation went, he told me the head coach knows the type of defense he likes to run, so the defensive coordinator that they are getting will most likely fall in that category of a 4-3,” Ebiketie said. “To be honest with you, I’m not really sure I can wait on them. It would be a risk, I would say.”
The top three with Ebiketie at this point are Texas, Boston College and Penn State, and he’s looking at making his decision in the next few days.
In 25 games with the Owls, Ebiketie totaled 59 tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks.