Edge Rusher Jordan Strachan was voted the best transfer before the 21 season.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer had his tough job on the recruiting trail this off-season when he joined the program right in the middle of the initial hiring period. Several Gamecock commits jumped off the boat after the dismissal of Will Muschamp and the previous team, leaving the recruiting class of 21 quite empty.
With most high school candidates already decided on compromise decisions, Beamer and Co. were forced to scour the transfer portal for quality players to bring to the university.
One of these players was recently recognized by Pro Football Focus as one of the top 30 transfers for college football before the 2021 season.
Jordan Strachan joined the South Carolina squad after spending three seasons in Atlanta, where he played for Georgia State under former Gamecock technical assistant Shawn Elliott. In those three years, he totaled 78 tackles, culminating in a 2020 campaign that saw him lead the country with 10.5 sacks and force three fumbles.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus has to say about the talented pass rusher.
Strachan, a former wanderer who missed most of 2019, is just coming out of a big stay in 2020 with the Panthers. He was a hybrid linebacker who was clearly better off hurrying the dowel rather than falling over the cover.
Strachan achieved a pass rate of 90.2 and a pass rate of 17% for pass-rushing in the season. The only problem is how he got to those numbers. They were driven by a handful of purely dominant performances, and when he came across quality offensive lines, like those in Louisiana and Appalachian State, Strachan was not very effective.
He is fast and explosive, exhibiting a good set of fast-moving moves in his last year in the state of Georgia. Don’t expect Strachan to match the elite score he plays at the SEC, but he must still provide quality production when he’s out on the field.
Although he was listed as a linebacker in the state of Georgia, he will likely slide one level to the defensive line in Columbia. Playing in a more traditional defensive end role will allow him to show his passing skills and limit his coverage time. He could be a player used in a similar way to how JJ Enagbare was last season, where he moved over the top four in different situations, occasionally playing with his hand off the ground.
Getting closer to the ball will likely mean that Strachan will need to add a few pounds to compete against the SEC’s offensive tackles, but coach Shane Beamer has already noticed that the newcomer is advancing in the weight room.
Arriving on campus at 220 pounds, he would be considered half a teenager, but Beamer said Strachan added 17 pounds to his six-foot body. Hopefully, this added weight will prevent opponents from putting too much pressure on the defender, especially in the racing game.
Strachan will join the Gamecocks’ most proven defensive unit, but he still has to gain a significant amount of playing time. He will join names like JJ Enagbare, who finished second at the sack conference a season ago, Aaron Sterling (9.5 sacks in career) and former five-star Jordan Burch to form a formidable rotation of running passes.
Can Gamecocks add a second transfer from the group?
The best player on the list is former Clemson defender Derion Kendrick, who left the program after deciding to return to the senior season.
Kendrick, who was once a five-star wide receiver, turned to defense as a second year. He has won all ACC honors in each of the past two years, after a total of 61 tackles, 11 pass separations and three interceptions.
A Rock Hill native, Kendrick may be high on Gamecocks due to his proximity to home, but he is also getting an interest from names like Alabama, Georgia and LSU. The Bulldogs seem to be the defeated team at the moment, especially when considering the opening of the 2021 season against the Tigers in September.
But Gamecocks have a narrow defensive backfield and can offer playing time against SEC competition. If Beamer and Co. gets the best transfer in the country, it would be an immediate boost for South Carolina’s high school and defense as a whole.