We’re onto Week 3 in my look into the biggest changes on each roster the Tigers will go up against this football season.
We started with a look at Central Arkansas, which you can find here, and last week we looked at the other side of the Border War, which you can find here.
Last week, we looked at the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, which you can find here.
Now, we're into conference play with a look at South Carolina.
Let’s get started with the most important losses from last year’s roster.
Biggest losses
Nick Emmanwori, safety
The Gamecocks were not hit hard by losses to the transfer portal, but they were hit hard by players going to the NFL. And that started when Emmanwori was taken in the second round (pick No. 35 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks.
Emmanwori was just the second safety drafted in this year’s draft after putting up a fantastic junior season at South Carolina last year.
He amassed a team-high 88 total tackles with four interceptions, three tackles for loss and two batted passes. Emmanwori was a key part of the Gamecock defense for each of the past three seasons and losing him will have a major effect on how South Carolina is able to run its defense.
T.J. Sanders, defensive tackle
Next off the board for South Carolina was Sanders, who was picked just six selections later by the Buffalo Bills.
Sanders, a 290-pound defensive tackle, amassed 50 tackles for the Gamecocks last year with seven for loss and four sacks, while he piled up six quarterback hits and a pass breakup.
Sanders was a two-year stud on the Gamecock defense and leaves a big hole up the middle of the defensive line.
Demetrius Knight, linebacker
Third to get selected for South Carolina was Knight, who was taken at pick No. 49 by the Cincinnati Bengals as the Gamecocks had three players taken in the second round.
Knight was a COVID-year guy, starting his college career in 2019, though he only played one season at South Carolina.
But he made a major impact in that single year, ending second on the team with 82 total tackles to go with eight for loss, three forced fumbles, two sacks, one interception and one pass breakup.
Knight was a key part of the Gamecock defense last season, though as a one-year transfer, should be more easily replaceable than the previous two mentioned.
Kyle Kennard, edge
Let’s keep looking at Gamecocks taken in the draft but move into the fourth round with Kennard, who went pick No. 125 by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kennard led the team by far with 11.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss last year to go with 10 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
He was just a fantastic pass rusher for his lone season in the other Columbia after four years at Georgia Tech. Again, a one-year guy the Gamecocks have to replace, but certainly a talented one.
Tonka Hemingway, defensive tackle
Now we’re back into longer tenured played, but staying in the fourth round with Hemingway who was taken at pick No. 135 by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hemingway didn’t pile up the stats last year, but he did have four sacks, four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits.
This one hurts more because it’s another huge body from the middle of the defensive line that the Gamecocks will have to replace, and one that has been on the team since 2020.
Raheim Sanders, running back
We’re out of the draft, but I would be remiss to not mention Sanders is no longer on the team. He signed an un-drafted free agent contract with the Chargers.
He only spent one year in South Carolina, but Tiger fans will be happy not to have Rocket on the schedule at all for the first time since 2020. He led the Gamecocks with 881 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground His ability was a big factor in allowing LaNorris Sellers to run like crazy, so the Gamecocks will have to adjust how they scheme their run game as they replace a very powerful back.
Josh Simon, tight end
Like Sanders controlled the run game, Simon was the primary pass catcher as a big body tight end who Sellers could dump the ball off to, but now he’s in Atlanta with the Falcons.
He amassed 40 catches for 519 yards and seven touchdowns, all leading South Carolina pass catchers last season. There wasn’t a dominant presence in the receiver room because of the prevalence of the ground game in Sellers’ first season in the backfield.
Biggest additions
Jaylen Brown, edge
Now onto the additions and, while I don’t know if he’s the biggest addition from the portal, Brown matters in this story for obvious reasons.
The former Tiger didn’t put up a ton of stats in his freshman season, but he’s a talented addition to a defensive line that lost a lot after last season.
Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, defensive tackle
Here’s the big body to clog up the middle of the defensive line after the Gamecocks lost a couple of them. Brownlow-Dindy is 315 pounds and was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. We had him as the No. 4 defensive tackle in the class of 2022.
Again, he didn’t play a ton the past three seasons at Texas A&M, but the Gamecocks added a lot of potential in the portal this year. Brownlow-Dindy is another in that group that could make a big difference.
Rahsul Faison, running back
Faison looks like the option to replace Rocket Sanders in the backfield. He was second-team All-Mountain West in his senior season at Utah State where he rushed for 1,109 yards on 198 carries with eight touchdowns.
We had him as a four-star portal addition.
Shawn Murphy, linebacker
Here’s another addition based on potential, Murphy was a four-star recruit coming out of high school when he went to Alabama.
He played in 18 games in two seasons with the Crimson Tide, then spent last season at Florida State and had 13 tackles and two sacks in four games played.
With how much the Gamecocks have to revamp their defense, Murphy is a potential-loaded addition to the linebacker room.
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