Grambling transfer linebacker Andrew Jones emerged as one of South Carolina’s top targets from the moment he entered the portal — today the Gamecocks got their guy.

Jones — the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Co-Defensive Player of the Year — has committed to South Carolina out of the portal and will step into a major role in the Gamecocks’ defense in 2025.

Jones, ranked the No. 9 linebacker in the portal, reported offers from Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, USF, and Georgia State, while he heard from over 20 schools.

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The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder tallied 122.0 total tackles (57 solo), 20.5 tackles of loss, 3.0 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown this season.

Jones will be expected to bring that productivity to a linebacker room that loses its top three contributors, Debo Williams, Demetrius Knight Jr., and Bam Martin-Scott, from this year’s squad.

Jones, who has one year of eligibility left, previously spent time at Memphis.

The Marrero, La. native is South Carolina’s fifth transfer portal pledge, joining OL Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest), EDGE Jaylen Brown (Missouri), TE Jordan Dingle (Kentucky), and DL Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M).

South Carolina football needed immediate help at linebacker, and has made its first move in the transfer portal to find some.

The Gamecocks landed their third transfer portal target of the day and fifth overall when former Grambling State linebacker Andrew Jones committed to South Carolina late Wednesday night. He is the third defensive player in the class, and the first linebacker to help replace a room set to lose Debo Williams, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Bam Martin-Scott following the 2024 season.

Jones was co-defensive player in the SWAC in 2024. The redshirt junior registered 122 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last season, by far the best season of his career. He started playing college football at Memphis in 2021, where he maintained his redshirt with four appearances before playing in five games in 2022.

He will be a redshirt senior next season, meaning the 2025 season will be his final year of eligibility.

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South Carolina’sKyle Kennard, who won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player in college football, has decided to opt out of theGamecocks’ Cheez-It Citrus Bowl matchup withIllinois, coach Shane Beamer said Wednesday.

Kennard, a 6-foot-5, 254-pound edge rusher, led the SEC in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (11.5) and also forced three fumbles. This was his only season at South Carolina after transferring from Georgia Tech.

Beamer said Kennard was skipping the bowl game to prepare for the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Kennard rated as the No. 6 outside linebacker in the draft, and ESPN’s Field Yates projects Kennard to be the No. 26 overall selection by the Green Bay Packers.

Kennard was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and AP and was an integral part of a South Carolina defensive line that was widely considered one of the best in the country. Kennard and freshman Dylan Stewart combined for 18 sacks, and the Gamecocks tied for third nationally with 30 sacks.

South Carolina (9-3) is trying to win 10 or more games for only the fifth time in school history when it takes on Illinois on Dec. 31 in Orlando.