Gamecocks Held the first day of practice as they ready for the season ahead
August 04, 2023
South Carolina practices again Saturday. The next media view period is Monday afternoon.
Beamer offered this quote via a press release from USC about Friday’s workout: “It was great to be back out here on Day One. There was a lot of energy, a lot of excitement, and a lot of youth. I thought we did some good things. The biggest concern is our ability to maintain as the practice goes. I thought one side of the ball defensively got better as the day went and the other side kind of allowed fatigue to set in a little bit. I know we’re in shape. We have to be better, but I liked the workman-like attitude. We just have to continue to build that mental toughness.”
“He is a great young man, a heck of a football player, super unselfish. And really excited to see him in this new role this upcoming season. He’s worked his butt off. He’s had a great summer. And his leadership and visibility on the field is immeasurable.”
Practice Observations
A number of players were either limited or worked off to the side with the strength staff on Day 1. Defensive end Tyreek Johnson donned a blue limited-contact jersey but went through individual drills with his position group. Those working off to the side included: safety Peyton Williams, linebacker Stone Blanton, running back/tight end Kam Sandlin and defensive tackle D’Andre Martin.
Other injured players who were on the sidelines at practice were freshman athlete Kelton Henderson and second-year offensive lineman Ryan Brubaker. Both were on crutches and did not participate in any capacity.
Defensive end Jordan Strachan and Mo Kaba were full participants during the portion of practice open to reporters. Head coach Shane Beamer noted both players could be semi-limited to start preseason practice as they continue to recover from right-knee ACL tears they suffered in Week 2 at Arkansas last year.
Receiver Xavier Legette and running backs Juju McDowell and Dakereon Joyner handled kick return duties during a brief special teams segment on Friday. Receivers Ahmarean Brown and Eddie Lewis fielded punts.
The Gamecocks ran through a handful of skeleton offensive plays. Those who ran with the first team included quarterback Spencer Rattler and Joyner in the backfield, O’Mega Blake, Brown, and Legette at receiver, Trey Knox at tight end, and an offensive line of Jakai Moore (left tackle), Nick Gargiulo (left guard), Vershon Lee (center), Trai Jones (right guard) and Sidney Fugar (right tackle). Antwane “Juice” Wells, the team’s top returning receiver, was healthy and going through other drills during the media viewing period.
South Carolina’s second-team offense was comprised of quarterback Luke Doty, running back Mario Anderson, tight end Josh Simon, receivers Landon Samson, Joseph Morris, and Payton Mangrum, and an offensive line of Tree Babalade (left tackle), Trovon Baugh (left guard), Grayson Mains (center), JonDarius Morgan (right guard) and Tyshawn Wannamaker (right tackle). Freshman tailback DJay Braswell also took a snap with the second-team offense.
While the offense ran on one field, the first- and second-team defenses lined up in the opposite practice area. The first team included: Johnson and Jordan Strachan at defensive ends, Tonka Hemingway and TJ Sanders at defensive tackle, Grayson Howard and Debo Williams at linebacker, and Marcellas Dial (corner), O’Donnell Fortune (corner), Nick Emmanwori (safety), DQ Smith (safety) and David Spaulding (nickel) in the secondary.
The second-team defense was made up of Jatius Geer, Bryan Thomas, Jamaal Whyce, and Elijah Davis up front, Bam Martin-Scott and Colin Bryant at linebacker, and a secondary of Emory Floyd (corner), Judge Collier (corner), Jalon Kilgore (safety), King Deminian-Ford (safety) and Landon Grier (nickel
Alex Huntley, who is expected to be a starter next to Hemingway, wasn’t with the first team Friday, but he and Hemingway were the first tackles up in other drills.
August 04, 2023
Video of Gamecock practice Friday morning COURTESY OF SPORTSTALK
South Carolina practices again Saturday. The next media view period is Monday afternoon.
Beamer offered this quote via a press release from USC about Friday’s workout: “It was great to be back out here on Day One. There was a lot of energy, a lot of excitement, and a lot of youth. I thought we did some good things. The biggest concern is our ability to maintain as the practice goes. I thought one side of the ball defensively got better as the day went and the other side kind of allowed fatigue to set in a little bit. I know we’re in shape. We have to be better, but I liked the workman-like attitude. We just have to continue to build that mental toughness.”
Coach Beamer on Dakereon Joyner’s leadership
“DK is fantastic,” Beamer said Thursday. “He is everything that you want in a student-athlete at the University of South Carolina, or anywhere. He is a, if not the, leader of his football team. And there’s no doubt that we need him on this football team.“He is a great young man, a heck of a football player, super unselfish. And really excited to see him in this new role this upcoming season. He’s worked his butt off. He’s had a great summer. And his leadership and visibility on the field is immeasurable.”
Practice Observations
A number of players were either limited or worked off to the side with the strength staff on Day 1. Defensive end Tyreek Johnson donned a blue limited-contact jersey but went through individual drills with his position group. Those working off to the side included: safety Peyton Williams, linebacker Stone Blanton, running back/tight end Kam Sandlin and defensive tackle D’Andre Martin.
Other injured players who were on the sidelines at practice were freshman athlete Kelton Henderson and second-year offensive lineman Ryan Brubaker. Both were on crutches and did not participate in any capacity.
Defensive end Jordan Strachan and Mo Kaba were full participants during the portion of practice open to reporters. Head coach Shane Beamer noted both players could be semi-limited to start preseason practice as they continue to recover from right-knee ACL tears they suffered in Week 2 at Arkansas last year.
Receiver Xavier Legette and running backs Juju McDowell and Dakereon Joyner handled kick return duties during a brief special teams segment on Friday. Receivers Ahmarean Brown and Eddie Lewis fielded punts.
The Gamecocks ran through a handful of skeleton offensive plays. Those who ran with the first team included quarterback Spencer Rattler and Joyner in the backfield, O’Mega Blake, Brown, and Legette at receiver, Trey Knox at tight end, and an offensive line of Jakai Moore (left tackle), Nick Gargiulo (left guard), Vershon Lee (center), Trai Jones (right guard) and Sidney Fugar (right tackle). Antwane “Juice” Wells, the team’s top returning receiver, was healthy and going through other drills during the media viewing period.
South Carolina’s second-team offense was comprised of quarterback Luke Doty, running back Mario Anderson, tight end Josh Simon, receivers Landon Samson, Joseph Morris, and Payton Mangrum, and an offensive line of Tree Babalade (left tackle), Trovon Baugh (left guard), Grayson Mains (center), JonDarius Morgan (right guard) and Tyshawn Wannamaker (right tackle). Freshman tailback DJay Braswell also took a snap with the second-team offense.
While the offense ran on one field, the first- and second-team defenses lined up in the opposite practice area. The first team included: Johnson and Jordan Strachan at defensive ends, Tonka Hemingway and TJ Sanders at defensive tackle, Grayson Howard and Debo Williams at linebacker, and Marcellas Dial (corner), O’Donnell Fortune (corner), Nick Emmanwori (safety), DQ Smith (safety) and David Spaulding (nickel) in the secondary.
The second-team defense was made up of Jatius Geer, Bryan Thomas, Jamaal Whyce, and Elijah Davis up front, Bam Martin-Scott and Colin Bryant at linebacker, and a secondary of Emory Floyd (corner), Judge Collier (corner), Jalon Kilgore (safety), King Deminian-Ford (safety) and Landon Grier (nickel
Alex Huntley, who is expected to be a starter next to Hemingway, wasn’t with the first team Friday, but he and Hemingway were the first tackles up in other drills.
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