When the South Carolina football team arrives at the training grounds in late March for the start of spring camp, 14 freshmen on scholarships will be trotting there. Four of them will participate in their first college football training, while another 10 will do it all again as freshmen in red T-shirts.
More on the spring list: 27 seniors with bag | 13 juniors | 24 second year students
The group of 14 freshmen has eight in attack and six in defense. They are listed below, separated by which side of the ball they will play on. The 10 redshirts have (R) next to their names. Its uniform number and position precedes its name.
OFFENSE (8)
No. 1, RB SeaShawn Lloyd (R)
No. 3, WR Sam Reynolds
No. 10, QB Colten Gauthier
No. 25, RB Rashad Amos (R)
No. 60, OL Jordan Davis
No. 62, OL Tyshawn Wannamaker (R)
No. 72, OL Trai Jones (R)
No. 87, WR Mike Wyman (R)
Whether he is a full participant or not coming out of that pre-season ACL break, attention will be paid to Lloyd. The ex-top 5 in high school is probably just as anxious as anyone on the team to get back on track. He will be joined by Amos, who showed some skill at the end of the season by supporting Kevin Harris.
Reynolds brings a lot of speed. The Alabama player in the first year will be a young player in attack, to keep an eye on and see how he influences the attack and the special team.
Gauthier enters the mix of defenders, entering a room that is not so experienced at this level of football. Luke Doty has only two matches in Carolina uniform and senior transfer Jason Brown has some evidence to do from the FCS level.
DEFENSE (6)
No. 5, LB Debo Williams (R)
No. 12, DB Joey Hunter (R)
No. 25, DB O’Donnell Fortune (R)
No. 55, EDGE Gilber Edmond (R)
No. 76, DL Nick Barrett
No. 95, DL Alex Huntley (R)
There is a new ‘Debo’ in the city. Williams was one of the most talked about additions through the transfer portal, a linebacker who still has all his eligibility after not playing for Delaware. He said he is a maniac from the weight room who will transfer this to physicality in the field. Gamecocks need a new pulse in the linebacker with Ernest Jones lost. Williams joins a room that includes veterans like Sherrod Greene, Brad Johnson, Damani Staley, a sophomore still inexperienced in Jahmar Brown and 2020 SEC All-Freshman selection Mohamed Kaba.
Fortune and Hunter hardly played defense last season, but given the lack of proven beginners or depth options on the secondary due to so much friction, they will have many opportunities to prove their worth to the new secondary coach Torrian Gray this spring.
Huntley, a high school All-American, was hampered by an ankle injury last season. He will try to enter the herd in a position where much experience returns. Barrett is new on campus, but not small, weighing 310 pounds.