‘Clicked instantly’: USC’s Jalon Kilgore developed football skills alongside his brother
Jalon Kilgore and the Putnam County War Eagles trailed 20-6 in the second round of the 2021 Georgia high school football playoffs against Lovett.
Kilgore — now a freshman who just completed his first spring practice with the South Carolina Gamecocks — helped Putnam County to an 11-0 record, but that streak was in jeopardy. He knew it was time for the team to lock in, as did his quarterback — and older brother — Gerald.
“Our coaches were disappointed, and they were all frustrated,” Jalon Kilgore said. “But me and Gerald, we came together. We said we had to take the game over.”
The War Eagles clawed their way back into the game, trailing by three points on the final drive.
The younger Kilgore made the plays on offense, with his brother getting him the ball. Putnam County went on to win 28-24.
“They just played pitch-and-catch,” said Shaun Pope, former Putnam County head coach. “They were on the same page. I think Gerald completed five or six passes on that drive, and four of them were to Jalon.”
The Kilgore brothers played together for three years, playing in the same offense for two of them. Jalon Kilgore only played defense as a freshman at Baldwin County, but played wide receiver the next two seasons after transferring to Putnam.
The two played together since they got into football. Their parents tried to keep them in the same age group in each league despite the one-year difference.
“I feel that they really helped,” Kilgore said. “Once we got on the football field together, the chemistry clicked instantly. There would be things we both see on the field. The coach would call the play, but we’d see something different on the field and then we’ll just flip it. And it always worked.”
Pope coached at Putnam County from 2018 until his retirement in 2022.
What made the Kilgore brothers special to him, outside of their football talent, was their character as young men. Pope said they were known as leaders in their schools, as well in the community with various service projects.
“They were always there,” Pope said. “They’re always willing to help others. In the classroom, you walk by, and they’re sitting in the front row.
“Just guys that you knew were gonna represent your program very well.”
Gerald Kilgore currently plays for Tennessee Tech. Jalon Kilgore signed with the Gamecocks in 2022 and enrolled in January.
The younger Kilgore is playing defensive back at USC and was recruited primarily by defensive backs coach Torrian Gray.
Gray liked his agility and speed, as well as how aggressive he played the position. Kilgore said he expects to be used at the corner and nickel positions.
Kilgore ultimately picked South Carolina because he enjoyed the city and community in Columbia. He was offered in January 2022 and eventually committed that June.
“They didn’t just offer me to offer me, they offered me and they just kept the family feeling,” Kilgore said. “So it was hard to even decide to go to another school because they were just all on top of me, and I really enjoyed that.”
Kilgore also played baseball and basketball and competed in track and field, but football was always his favorite sport.
His experience playing both sides of the ball gives him the footwork needed to compete at the next level. Putnam County had between 35 to 40 players on the roster, which made it difficult to have depth on offense and defense.
“Just to help the team, the coaches want me to play both sides,” Kilgore said.
Kilgore’s playing days with his brother are over, but the foundation he built with that chemistry carries over to South Carolina.
The two managed to stay in sync no matter what play was called — especially if they called it themselves,
“We made sure that if we do this, I either have to make the catch or he has to make a good pass,” Kilgore said.
