Who plays right away? How South Carolina’s transfer portal additions stack up

For the first time since Shane Beamer took over South Carolina, the Gamecocks have brought in more transfers (20) than recruits (16) this offseason.

For the past two years, Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his team have turned into college football’s quagmire because, well, it doesn’t seem feasible to construct a roster almost entirely of transfer portal kids.

The Buffaloes have not yet reached their levels from a year ago when Sanders brought in 51 new transfers, but who would have thought as of mid-January, South Carolina has brought in just two less transfers than Colorado (22)?

And as of Wednesday evening, only five teams in America — Louisville, Texas A&M, Indiana, Arizona State and Colorado — have pulled more kids out of the transfer portal than the Gamecocks. And, out of that group, only Texas A&M and Indiana — both of which fired their coaches — have lost more kids to the portal than South Carolina.

The story of South Carolina’s 2024 season won’t be able to be written without explaining the Gamecocks’ action in the portal.

So, let’s examine where South Carolina 20 current transfers — 18 on scholarship, two walk-ons — will fit in next year.

HAVE A CHANCE TO START (6)

RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (Arkansas): With the departure of running back Mario Anderson, Sanders will start for the Gamecocks next year. The crown jewel of their portal haul, Sanders can be one of the top backs in the SEC. Though injured for most of last season, he ran for over 1,400 yards in 2022.

DE Kyle Kennard (Georgia Tech): With one year of eligibility remaining, Kennard chose to finish his college career at South Carolina over Florida State. A 6-foot-5, 238-pound edge rusher, he could be the perfect fit for the Gamecocks’ 3-3-5 defense.

LB Demetrius Knight (Charlotte): With the losses of linebackers Stone Blanton and Grayson “Pup” Howard, the Gamecocks needed guys to compete at linebacker. Knight, who had 96 tackles last season at Charlotte, has a solid chance of starting alongside Debo Williams at LB.

WR Jared Brown (Coastal Carolina): South Carolina lost seven receivers this offseason, including top target Xavier Legette. Someone has to fill the void. Brown seems like a good candidate. Among the three transfer WRs South Carolina brought in, none had more production than Brown last year.

TE Brady Hunt (Ball State): After a whirlwind recruitment, South Carolina landed Hunt and might have a new TE1. With Trey Knox gone, Hunt will compete with Joshua Simon for the starting job but both will play regardless. Though he missed all of last season with an ankle injury, Hunt racked up over 500 yards and five scores in 2022.

EDGE Gilber Edmond (Florida State): The former Gamecock decided to rejoin South Carolina after a year at Florida State. The Gamecocks need experience at EDGE without Jordan Strachan (ran out of eligibility) and Edmond, who started 10 games for USC in 2022, already knows defensive coordinator Clayton White’s system.

LIKELY TO PLAY/HAVE A ROLE (7)

RB Oscar Adaway III (North Texas): Would expect Adaway to back up Sanders at running back next season. The North Texas transfer ran for over 700 yards last year and, with two years of eligibility remaining, could work his way into the starting running back role in 2025.

RB Jawarn Howell (S.C. State): Howell is the wild card at running back. Yes, he is young. Yes, he came from a small program. Yes, he could have just been added for depth. But the sophomore dominated at S.C. State and could compete for the backup spot right away.

WR Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (Louisville): Very well might start alongside or over Brown, the Coastal Carolina transfer. A Dillon native, Huggins-Bruce was productive at Louisville, but did not have a major role in the Cardinals offense. Will be interesting to see if that changes in Columbia.

WR Gage Larvadain (Miami, Ohio): Though not the biggest guy (5-10, 165), Larvadain was productive last season at Miami (Ohio), leading the Mid-American Conference with 659 yards of receiving. Could become a nice deep-ball receiver.

OL Kamaar Bell (FAU): Bell is a needed reinforcement for South Carolina’s offensive line. He might not start right away, but seems likely he finds time on the field because of his versatility. Though he played guard at FAU, Bell can shift over to center if needed.

LB Bangally Kamara (Pitt): Could have easily flip-flopped Knight and Kamara. Would imagine one of them gets a starting nod at LB, and Kamara — who has just one year of eligibility left — could be the guy. Has played in 47 career games and had over 100 combined tackles the past two seasons.

DL Deandre Jules (Pitt): Another addition from Pitt, Jules hasn’t missed a game in over two years. A 310-pound defensive tackle, Jules could quickly find himself in the Gamecocks’ DL rotation behind Tonka Hemingway and Alex “Boogie” Huntley.

NEEDED DEPTH (7)

QB Robby Ashford (Auburn): Now, this could look silly if Ashford arrives on campus and beats out LaNorris Sellers for the starting job. But, assuming Sellers wins the top spot, Ashford will be an experienced backup who can push the redshirt freshman.

QB Davis Beville (Oklahoma): A preferred walk-on, Beville will probably compete with freshman Dante Reno for the third-string quarterback spot.

DL Monkell Goodwine (Alabama): A pre-Saban-retirement Alabama transfer, Goodwine played just five games in three years for the Tide. A veteran presence for an OL room that lost three guys to the transfer portal.

OL Aaryn “AJ” Parks (Oklahoma): Recruited by Beamer at Oklahoma, Parks played only a handful of games for the Sooners. Could find his way into the rotation, but will have to beat out the Gamecocks young talent.

OL Torricelli Simpkins III (North Carolina Central): The MEAC’s Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2023, Simpkins brings plenty of experience to Columbia and will compete for playing time at USC.

DB Gerald Kilgore (Tennessee Tech): The younger brother of South Carolina DB Jalon Kilgore, Gerald might be a year or two away from playing. A former quarterback, he’s only been playing defense for a year.

DB Buddy Mack (Pitt): Mack will join the Gamecocks as a walk-on, and the Byrnes High School (Duncan, SC) could have a role on special teams.