South-Carolina
Rocket Sanders, 4 other South Carolina football players who’ve stood out for Shane Beamer in 2024
COLUMBIA — Looking at South Carolina football’s roster in August, there were question marks. With lots of underclassmen, transfers and position battles to be sorted out, it wasn’t obvious who would stand out.
South Carolina holds a 3-1 record heading into its first open date of the season after defeating Akron 50-7 on Saturday.
With four games played, including two SEC, here are five players who have stood out on offense, defense and special teams.
Offense: Mazeo Bennett Jr.
Mazeo Bennett Jr., a freshman wide receiver from Greenville, leads the Gamecocks with 159 receiving yards. He had his coming out game against Kentucky, scoring a touchdown and catching a 32-yard pass. Bennett had 71 receiving yards on five catches against Akron, and scored his first touchdown in Williams-Brice Stadium.
Top skills: Route running, hands and confidence, especially in big moments
Offense: Rocket Sanders
Rocket Sanders, a transfer running back from Arkansas, has played well coming off a season riddled with injuries. His best game was against LSU in which he scored twice and logged a 66-yard run. Though he was injured early in the win against Akron, Sanders has 286 yards on 57 carries.
Top skills: Strength, speed, leadership
Honorable mention: LaNorris Sellers, quarterback
Defense: Kyle Kennard
Kyle Kennard, a transfer edge rusher from Georgia Tech, is tied for first in the country in sacks with 5.5. Kennard is explosive, disruptive and thus far the most impactful defender for South Carolina. At 6-foot-5, his size poses a challenge to most offenses, and he’s established himself as a strong presence no matter the opponent. He has seven solo tackles, two forced fumbles, and 8.5 tackles for a loss of 53 yards.
Top skills: ability to get off the ball, dependability/consistency, leadership
PASSING GAME: South Carolina football’s passing game is improving, what it means entering open date
Defense: Nick Emmanwori
Nick Emmanwori, a defensive back, was sort of drowned out by the hype for freshman Dylan Stewart in weeks 1 and 2, but the junior has been huge for the Gamecocks. He leads the team with 18 solo tackles — eight against LSU — and has two interceptions. Against Kentucky, he jumped to intercept a pass and maintained his balance to return the ball for a 24-yard touchdown. He had another pick against LSU and showcased that he runs like a receiver when he catches the ball.
Top skills: Size, strength, anticipates well, IQ
Honorable mention: Dylan Stewart, edge
Special teams: Alex Herrera
Alex Herrera hadn’t kicked field goal before the opener vs. Old Dominion, but he nailed three to keep South Carolina in the game. The 49-yard kick he missed to tie the score against LSU doesn’t take away from his dependability on field goals and extra points. What’s most impressive is he won the kicker battle shortly before Week 1 and has stepped into a huge role with little experience.
Top skills: Short memory, doesn’t dwell on the negative, after LSU he went 6-6 on extra points against Akron
Honorable mention: Kai Kroeger, punter
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
South-Carolina
JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina highlight women’s games to watch this week
Napheesa Collier on what to expect from Unrivaled basketball league
Napheesa Collier chats with Mackenzie Salmon about the inspiration behind starting the new Unrivaled basketball league with Breanna Stewart.
Sports Seriously
Technically, Feast Week is still three days away, but given some of the star-powered matchups this week in women’s college hoops, those who are craving good basketball are going to get their fill — and then some.
The two biggest games of the week are both taking place in L.A., more proof that Hollywood really does attract the biggest and best stars. While USC-Notre Dame and UCLA-South Carolina will command plenty of attention, don’t discount some of the unranked and/or mid-major schools listed below. November is a great time to get familiar with non-brand names that could make a run come March.
And with that, here are five women’s college games to watch this week.
Belmont at No. 14 Duke
Thursday, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
Don’t be fooled by Belmont’s 2-2 record — the Bruins took No. 11 Ohio State to the wire last week, and Bart Brooks is one of the best coaches in the country, period. Belmont boasts a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging 8.0 points or more, but in order to pull an upset in historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, they’re going to need Kendall Holmes (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Emily La Chapell (11.5 ppg, 3.0 apg) to step up. Duke, which also has a balanced attack, won’t make it easy, especially if Ashlon Jackson (13.2 ppg, 40% 3FG) and Reigan Richardson (11.4 ppg, 41.2% 3FG) are hitting from outside.
No. 9 Oklahoma at UNLV
Friday, 3:30 ET on Mountain West Network
This could be interesting. UNLV has ruled the Mountain West for a few years, and is often ranked at the end of the regular season. But the Rebels have yet to make major noise in the NCAA tournament, even though they’re often a popular upset pick. Could a win at home over a top 10 team help build the confidence they need to do some damage in March? To upset the Sooners they’ll have to figure out how to handle junior center Raegan Beers (21.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg), arguably the top transfer in the country.
Harvard at Northwestern
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network+
Harvard’s already picked up one win against a Big Ten team, knocking off then-ranked Indiana in Bloomington in the second game of the season. And given that the Crimson feature one of the best players in the country you haven’t heard of — senior guard Harmoni Turner is averaging 23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and shooting 45.1% from the field — the chances of notching another big road win look good.
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 3 USC
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
The two best sophomores in the country, USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo take centerstage in a game that could very well break scoring records based on how much these two guards love to push pace. Watkins (21.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 spg) is pro-ready in just her second year of college hoops and Hidalgo (25.0 ppg, 5.2 spg) is maybe the best on-ball defender in the country, a pest who knows how to steal the ball and turn it into points on the other end. But these two are hardly one-woman shows. USC got a gem out of the transfer portal in Kiki Iriafen (17.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and the Irish’s other star guard, Olivia Miles (18.3 ppg, 6.8), is healthy after missing last season. You’re going to want popcorn handy when you tune into this game.
No. 1 South Carolina at No. 6 UCLA
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on FS1
UCLA junior center Lauren Betts (21.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) is an early favorite to contend for national player of the year honors. One thing that would help make a case for her: a stellar performance against the defending champs. That’s a tall task though, even for the 6-foot-7 Betts. She’ll be going up against Gamecocks like Joyce Edwards (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), a freshman who plays like a veteran, and Ashlyn Watkins (5.7 ppg, 1.3 bpg), who proved last year she’s one of the best defenders in the country. Will UCLA and Betts be able to slow Chloe Kitts (17.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and Te-Hina Paopao (13.5 ppg, 44% 3FG)? They’ll have to in order to beat South Carolina. A big game from transfer Timea Gardiner (14.5 ppg, 57.7% 3FG) would also help.
USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll: Defending national champions remain at No. 1
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
South-Carolina
Updated NFL Draft projections for South Carolina football standouts
The South Carolina football record for single-year NFL Draft selections in the modern era is seven. Both the 2009 draft and 2013 draft saw seven Gamecocks selected. (Back in 1954, nine USC alums went in a much longer draft.)
The 2025 NFL Draft could challenge those numbers.
The Gamecocks will be well-represented in April’s draft, especially on defense. You can check out some recent draft projections below. (The only underclassmen included are TJ Sanders and Nick Emmanwori because of their expected early-round selections.)
[GamecockCentral: $1 for 7 days and 50% off first year]
TJ Sanders
The player most consistently mocked in the 1st round among the draft-eligible Gamecocks is big TJ Sanders. The athletic defensive tackle has gotten top-30 love from CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso and Mike Renner. Other outlets predict a 2nd or 3rd-round selection, but Sanders appears to be a lock in the top 100.
Nick Emmanwori
Nick Emmanwori has been one of several standouts on this year’s defense at South Carolina. Because of that, the talented safety has become one of the top players at his position in the 2025 draft. Some even consider him this cycle’s best overall safety. Emmanwori is big, fast, and great on the back end. CBS’ Ryan Wilson views the freaky athlete as a 1st-rounder. Most outlets seem to position him in the 2nd round.
Kyle Kennard
Coming into 2024 as a late-round guy, Kyle Kennard has played himself into a new future. Now, following an All-American showing this fall, he has been mocked as high as the late 1st round but seems settled into somewhere in the top 100 according to most sources. That is exactly where The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez projects Kennard. Sanchez calls him a “Day 2” pick, meaning he believes Kennard will go in the 2nd or 3rd round.
Rocket Sanders
Running backs aren’t nearly as highly coveted in the draft as they used to be, but Rocket Sanders is among the names garnering consideration. The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs projects Sanders to be a 5th-round pick. That also tracks with other NFL Draft big boards and mocks. Most outlets seem to think Sanders will be off the board between the fourth and seventh rounds.
DeAndre Jules
An under-the-radar Gamecock in draft circles in DeAndre Jules. The big defensive tackle has missed some time this fall, but the NFL is still intrigued by the big fella. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell projects Jules to go in the 3rd or 4th round in April. That is higher than most other mocks, though. When Jules is included on other NFL Draft boards, it is as a potential late-round pick.
Josh Simon
As part of a strong season, Josh Simon tied USC’s single-season touchdown record for tight ends (6) against Missouri. Because of his production, the NFL is taking notice. AtoZSports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Roberts called Simon “a better pro than college player,” which is significant because he’s a really good college tight end. NFL Draft pundits are late to the party, but he’s starting to get late-round buzz as a possible 5th-round to 7th-round selection. The offseason should be kind to Simon’s draft stock.
O’Donnell Fortune
O’Donnell Fortune could be the next South Carolina cornerback to make his way into the draft. In fact, earlier this fall, NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline gave the Palmetto State native a 6th-round grade. Several other outlets have followed suit recently. Fortune has had a strong senior season in Columbia and should find himself in professional football next year, whether via draft selection or free agent contract. He is a “stock up” candidate.
Demetrius Knight
Demetrius Knight is an NFL linebacker. Because he didn’t play until last year (with Charlotte) and has just one season in the SEC, his stock isn’t high. As things stand, Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell lists Knight as a 6th or 7th-round pick. However, Knight’s size and speed should see him be an offseason riser. His physical testing numbers and pop on film should impress scouts.
Tonka Hemingway
Heading into the season, Tonka Hemingway was viewed as a potential major riser for the 2025 NFL Draft. With other players also stepping up around the country at the position, a solid year for Hemingway hasn’t seen that draft stock bump come to fruition. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell calls Hemingway a 6th or 7th-round pick.
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Wofford football game]
Other Late-Round/Undrafted Free Agent Hopefuls
*The players listed below have received 7th-round or undrafted free agent grades from various outlets*
LB Debo Williams
G/C Torricelli Simpkins
C/G Vershon Lee
LB Bam Martin-Scott
DT Boogie Huntley
WR Gage Larvadain
P Kai Kroeger
LS Hunter Rogers
South-Carolina
Gamecocks Welcome Mercer Thursday Night
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (2-2) returns home for a Thursday night matchup with Mercer (2-2) at Colonial Life Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. (ET) with Dave Weinstein (pxp) and John Williams (analyst) on the call for the SEC Network+ broadcast.
It’ll be the seventh all-time meeting between the Gamecocks and Bears and first since Dec. 30, 2001, in Dave Odom’s inaugural season as head coach at South Carolina.
The contest will be an unbracketed game part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off, which takes place next week at Suncoast Credit Union Arena Nov. 25 and 27.
Road closures for the annual Vista Lights on Nov. 21 will affect traffic for the campus community and fans heading to the men’s basketball game at 7 p.m. against Mercer.
Starting around 5 p.m., the city of Columbia will close the following streets:
- Gervais Street from Gadsden to Assembly streets
- Lincoln Street from Senate to Lady streets
- Park Street from Senate to Lady streets
Members of the university community are advised to find alternate routes home from campus or to Colonial Life Arena.
Season tickets remain available and more information can be found here. Single-game tickets are now available as well and can be purchased here.
GAME INFORMATION
TIME: 7 p.m. (ET) with doors opening at 6 p.m.
VENUE: Colonial Life Arena
TV: SEC Network+
PLAY-BY-PLAY: Dave Weinstein
ANALYST: John Williams
RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network
IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game
PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott
ANALYST: Casey Manning
SIRIUSXM: 385 | SXM APP: 975
WATCH: ESPN.com/watch/
LIVE STATS: GamecocksOnline.com
SERIES: SC leads, 4-2
in COLUMBIA: SC leads, 4-2
SERIES TREND: SC has won three-in-a-row dating back to Jan. 2, 1993, a 68-66 victory.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 30, 2001 in the non-conference finale of Dave Odom’s first season ; Gamecocks won 88-52 in what would be the final season of Frank McGuire Arena.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks head south for a two-game MTE in the program’s debut at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Carolina opens vs. Xavier (4-0) on Monday. Tip is 8:30 p.m. (ET) on FS1 with Jeff Levering (pxp) and Donny Marshall (analyst) on the call. The team will face either Virginia Tech or Michigan Wednesday night at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
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