Clayton White had plenty to smile about on Wednesday, and for good reason. The South Carolina defensive coordinator sounded genuinely fired up about seeing Dylan Stewart back on the field, even if Stewart is still working on the side as he rebuilds his conditioning.
"I'm very excited," Whie said, between grins.
"It was just nice to see him just back out there (at practice). … It's fun for everyone to watch.
He's not practicing with us. He's more on the side getting his conditioning up.
But it's fun to see him back out there working, working his moves."
White followed that up with another burst of enthusiasm: "We're excited, it's awesome."
Stewart is still coming back from the back injury he suffered last season, and White said his actual workload on game days remains unsettled. What does seem clear is that South Carolina doesn't plan to tweak its approach just because Stewart is available in some capacity.
"That's going to depend on the number of plays that he's approved or cleared to play, but our game plan will not change," White said. "He has an uncanny ability just to remember every single thing and it's the most impressive thing I've been around, as far as someone who can just remember his whole - basically, his whole rhyme, his whole lyrics, without even writing it down.
… That's the kind of level he's on, in regard to recall and retention. I don't have to change anything.
"Just know when he's out there and know when he's not."
There was more optimism on the offensive side, where Kendal Briles said he’s encouraged by Jacarrius Peak’s progress. Briles said Peak practiced on back-to-back days and came through Tuesday without any lingering soreness.
"I'm excited to see him get out there. He practiced yesterday and practiced today, so hopefully his arrow is still pointing up," Briles said.
"I talked to him today and he said that he was not sore at all after Tuesday's practice, so that's good news. But obviously a guy who's a high-level player.
He's going to help us however he can and he's going to make us better."
In Other News...
South Carolina May Have Found A Backfield Weapon Fans Werent Expecting
South Carolinas backfield got an unexpected spark in its Week 1 win over Kent State, and it came from a player who had yet to take an offensive snap in a Gamecocks uniform. Jabree Coleman, the Penn State transfer who redshirted last season, made his collegiate offensive debut look easy, piling up 77 yards on just four carries while finding the end zone twice in a game where the ground attack set the tone.
Coleman said the moment was everything he had hoped for, and he was quick to point to the offensive line for making the night possible. It also fit neatly into a dominant team performance on the ground, with South Carolinas running backs combining for 278 rushing yards and four touchdowns, a reminder that the Gamecocks may already have more depth in the backfield than many expected. [Read more 🡒]
Gamecocks Pass Rush Finally Gets A Very Different Week 2 Test
Kent States passing game last week offered a very different kind of challenge for a pass rush, with Dru DeShields getting the ball out in 2.4 seconds on 23 dropbacks. The Golden Flashes kept things compact, leaning on short passes with an average depth of target of 2.5 yards and only four throws that traveled more than nine yards downfield, the sort of script that can take a defenses sacks out of the equation.
Towson should ask more questions of South Carolina in Week 2, though, because Andrew Indorf has been willing to push the ball deeper and his profile comes with a much higher average depth of target. For a Gamecocks front trying to build on its early work, that creates a different kind of test: less about beating a rapid-fire release and more about staying disciplined when the ball starts traveling farther downfield. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces An Early Depth Test In First Night Game
South Carolina gets its first night game of the season Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, and the matchup with Towson arrives with the Gamecocks carrying real momentum from a 57-0 rout of Kent State. They are favored again against a Towson team that is 0-2, but the bigger early-season question for Shane Beamers group is less about the opponent and more about how the roster holds up under another game.
The injury picture adds some intrigue to what should be a comfortable home date. Dylan Stewart and Jacarrius Peak are both doubtful to play, which puts a little more pressure on the depth chart as South Carolina looks to keep its start on track under the lights. Fans who want to follow along will need the streaming option, since the game is set for SEC Network Plus. [Read more 🡒]