Who redshirts, who doesn’t For the Gamecocks'
Oct. 13, 2022
Shane Beamer’s second season as head coach at South Carolina is halfway over. Gamecocks are sitting at 4-2 following a 24-14 win over No. 13 Kentucky and enter its bye week with as much momentum as it’s had all year. With the season at its midpoint, here’s a look at the redshirt situation with South Carolina’s freshman class. As a reminder, anyone who plays in more than four games cannot take a redshirt season :
NO REDSHIRT PLAYERS
Players: DB Nick Emmanwori, DB DQ Smith, DB Kajuan Banks, LB Stone Blanton, LB Donovan Westmoreland It’s hard to overstate how good Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith have been for South Carolina this fall.
Emmanwori was thrust into action after R.J. Roderick suffered an arm injury on the first drive of the 2022 season against Georgia State. He’s since evolved into a quality starter, leading the team in tackles through six games. Also the same for Smith, too, he has been wildly impressive despite being the last guy on campus out of this group here. He’s started four of six contests so far, recording 19 tackles and an interception in that span. He also returned a punt block for a touchdown against Georgia State. Kajuan Banks, Stone Blanton, and Donovan Westmoreland have all been largely involved on special teams, but their roles could fluctuate as the season continues.
Blanton has played at least 18 snaps in games against Georgia, Georgia State, and S.C. State, at least in part, due to Mo Kaba’s season-ending injury, filling depth needs at linebacker. All of these guys are past the four-game threshold for a season to count toward one’s eligibility.
REDSHIRT? WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE
Players: DL Bryan Thomas Jr., DB Emory Floyd, DB Keenan Nelson Jr., DB Peyton Williams, OL Cason Henry, DL D’Andre Martin
Injury issues have started to pile up on the defensive side of the ball, forcing South Carolina to get creative in spurts. Bryan Thomas Jr. has seen time in three games this year at defensive end with Jordan Strachan (season-ending) and Terrell Dawkins suffering knee injuries. Keenan Nelson, Emory Floyd, and Peyton Williams have appeared in at least one game as South Carolina’s secondary continues to get healthy.
Banks, Emmanwori and Smith have all climbed the depth chart ahead of that aforementioned trio for now, but they should play right up until they hit that four-game threshold.
Cason Henry (two games) has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the freshmen who have played. Offensive linemen almost always redshirt, as most need a full season to add the weight and strength necessary to play in the Southeastern Conference. Henry, though, has held his own in limited spurts grading out to an 80.3 on Pro Football Focus’ 100-point scale as a pass blocker over his 34 snaps this year. Defensive lineman D’Andre Martin has appeared in one game.
In a perfect world, South Carolina’s staff will maintain four years of eligibility with everyone in this group. The injury situation which has gotten better of late may dictate how possible that is.
PLAYERS THAT WILL MOST LIKEY HAVE REDSHIRT SEASONS
Players: QB Braden Davis, QB Tanner Bailey, QB Jalen Daniels, OL Grayson Mains, OL Ryan Brubaker, TE Zavier Short, WR Landon Samson, WR Kylic Horton, DB Anthony Rose, DL Felix Hixon, DL Jamaal Whyce, DL Demetrius
Watson South Carolina’s 2022 class especially its skill position players were always likely headed for a redshirt. Quarterbacks Tanner Bailey, Braden Davis and Jalen Daniels are pretty squarely buried behind Spencer Rattler and Luke Doty on the depth chart. It’s still unlikely any of those three guys get more than a handful of snaps this fall. The same can be said for tight end Zavier Short and receivers Landon Samson and Kylic Horton.
The Gamecocks are loaded at tight end with Austin Stogner, Nate Adkins and Jaheim Bell. Traevon Kenion, too, has played well enough to warrant time on special teams. That leaves few plays available for Short. Samson felt like a possible breakout freshman if he could climb the depth chart in fall camp. He, like Short, is simply trapped behind a deep and talented group of older receivers.
South Carolina remains high on what he’ll bring in the future. Defensive linemen Felix Hixon, Jamaal Whyce and Demetrius Watson all also run into similar situations as the receivers and tight ends. South Carolina runs three or four deep at defensive tackle in 2022, and there isn’t any pressing need to force any of the freshmen into service. A redshirt year for those players projected to hold down the trenches for the foreseeable future figures to be a good thing long term.
Oct. 13, 2022
Shane Beamer’s second season as head coach at South Carolina is halfway over. Gamecocks are sitting at 4-2 following a 24-14 win over No. 13 Kentucky and enter its bye week with as much momentum as it’s had all year. With the season at its midpoint, here’s a look at the redshirt situation with South Carolina’s freshman class. As a reminder, anyone who plays in more than four games cannot take a redshirt season :
NO REDSHIRT PLAYERS
Players: DB Nick Emmanwori, DB DQ Smith, DB Kajuan Banks, LB Stone Blanton, LB Donovan Westmoreland It’s hard to overstate how good Nick Emmanwori and DQ Smith have been for South Carolina this fall.
Emmanwori was thrust into action after R.J. Roderick suffered an arm injury on the first drive of the 2022 season against Georgia State. He’s since evolved into a quality starter, leading the team in tackles through six games. Also the same for Smith, too, he has been wildly impressive despite being the last guy on campus out of this group here. He’s started four of six contests so far, recording 19 tackles and an interception in that span. He also returned a punt block for a touchdown against Georgia State. Kajuan Banks, Stone Blanton, and Donovan Westmoreland have all been largely involved on special teams, but their roles could fluctuate as the season continues.
Blanton has played at least 18 snaps in games against Georgia, Georgia State, and S.C. State, at least in part, due to Mo Kaba’s season-ending injury, filling depth needs at linebacker. All of these guys are past the four-game threshold for a season to count toward one’s eligibility.
REDSHIRT? WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE
Players: DL Bryan Thomas Jr., DB Emory Floyd, DB Keenan Nelson Jr., DB Peyton Williams, OL Cason Henry, DL D’Andre Martin
Injury issues have started to pile up on the defensive side of the ball, forcing South Carolina to get creative in spurts. Bryan Thomas Jr. has seen time in three games this year at defensive end with Jordan Strachan (season-ending) and Terrell Dawkins suffering knee injuries. Keenan Nelson, Emory Floyd, and Peyton Williams have appeared in at least one game as South Carolina’s secondary continues to get healthy.
Banks, Emmanwori and Smith have all climbed the depth chart ahead of that aforementioned trio for now, but they should play right up until they hit that four-game threshold.
Cason Henry (two games) has been perhaps the biggest surprise of the freshmen who have played. Offensive linemen almost always redshirt, as most need a full season to add the weight and strength necessary to play in the Southeastern Conference. Henry, though, has held his own in limited spurts grading out to an 80.3 on Pro Football Focus’ 100-point scale as a pass blocker over his 34 snaps this year. Defensive lineman D’Andre Martin has appeared in one game.
In a perfect world, South Carolina’s staff will maintain four years of eligibility with everyone in this group. The injury situation which has gotten better of late may dictate how possible that is.
PLAYERS THAT WILL MOST LIKEY HAVE REDSHIRT SEASONS
Players: QB Braden Davis, QB Tanner Bailey, QB Jalen Daniels, OL Grayson Mains, OL Ryan Brubaker, TE Zavier Short, WR Landon Samson, WR Kylic Horton, DB Anthony Rose, DL Felix Hixon, DL Jamaal Whyce, DL Demetrius
Watson South Carolina’s 2022 class especially its skill position players were always likely headed for a redshirt. Quarterbacks Tanner Bailey, Braden Davis and Jalen Daniels are pretty squarely buried behind Spencer Rattler and Luke Doty on the depth chart. It’s still unlikely any of those three guys get more than a handful of snaps this fall. The same can be said for tight end Zavier Short and receivers Landon Samson and Kylic Horton.
The Gamecocks are loaded at tight end with Austin Stogner, Nate Adkins and Jaheim Bell. Traevon Kenion, too, has played well enough to warrant time on special teams. That leaves few plays available for Short. Samson felt like a possible breakout freshman if he could climb the depth chart in fall camp. He, like Short, is simply trapped behind a deep and talented group of older receivers.
South Carolina remains high on what he’ll bring in the future. Defensive linemen Felix Hixon, Jamaal Whyce and Demetrius Watson all also run into similar situations as the receivers and tight ends. South Carolina runs three or four deep at defensive tackle in 2022, and there isn’t any pressing need to force any of the freshmen into service. A redshirt year for those players projected to hold down the trenches for the foreseeable future figures to be a good thing long term.
