With preseason camp about to open, South Carolina is staring at a familiar question: which newcomers are too good to keep waiting?
Shane Beamer didn’t exactly shy away from the possibility that several of them will be in the mix right away. The USC coach called the group of freshmen and transfers “immediate impact guys,” while also saying, “Certainly don’t want to anoint any true freshmen yet, but there are some guys that we know are going to play a lot of football for us this upcoming season that we’re excited about. Same thing with those portal guys.”
The most obvious place to start is up front, where South Carolina needs bodies and production. Tomiwa Durojaiye arrives after stops at four other schools and comes in at a position of need after the losses of Nick Barrett and Monkell Goodwine. He earned honorable mention Big Ten recognition at Illinois last season and was named USC’s co-newcomer of the spring on defense.
Kelby Collins brings a different kind of résumé. He has three seasons of SEC experience split between Florida and Alabama, and he came to Columbia with his brother Drew Collins, who transferred in from Arkansas State. Collins can line up inside or outside, though USC appears likely to use him on the interior.
Then there are the bigger bodies. Noah Clark is a freshman listed at 6-foot-5 and 345 pounds, while Jordan Thomas comes in at 6-5 and 316 after two years at Georgia with limited playing time. Beamer made it clear he expects the portal additions on the defensive front to matter.
“We really like those defensive tackles that we brought in in the portal, all of them. They give us immediate depth and an immediate upgrade on the defensive line,” Beamer said.
“Nobody’s really talking about those guys. They’re going to make an impact this year.
At safety, J’Zavien Currence is the name that jumps off the page. He played quarterback and safety at South Pointe High last season and helped Rock Hill add another state championship. South Carolina has experience back at the position, but Beamer’s view was simple: “He’s a dude, man,” Beamer said.
On offense, the most eye-catching spring buzz centered on D.J. Black.
He was a USC walk-on, redshirted in 2022, then transferred to Limestone, where he played for receivers coach Mike Furrey before moving on again when Limestone closed its campus. Black then spent time at UCF in 2025 and is now back at South Carolina.
He was one of the co-newcomers of the spring on offense, and Kendal Briles singled him out.
“He’s the one that’s really caught my eye the most,” offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said.
The offensive line may have the clearest opening of all. Emmanuel Kojo Poku started the last 26 games at East Carolina and played 35 games over four seasons there, giving USC the kind of experience and steadiness it needs after a major rebuild. If the season started today, he’d probably be in the lineup.
South Carolina also added Nitro Tuggle, who has been at Georgia and Purdue and could help a receiving group that never found a true breakout player last season. And Sequel Patterson brings another versatile athletic profile after choosing not to enroll early because he wanted to play baseball and run track as a senior in high school. He helped turn Indian Land High into one of the state’s better stories, leading it to two of the best seasons in school history.
Briles said Patterson will have some catching up to do, even with summer work available now.
“The thing that helps him is that you’re able to do all this stuff in the summer now with the players. And so you’re going through installations and they have player-led workouts and that kind of stuff,” Briles said.
“So he’s able to process information. They’ll have all fall camp to do it, but he’ll be a little bit behind.”
In Other News...
Gamecocks Fans Suddenly Have A Bigger Arena Question To Face
South Carolinas next big facility conversation is no longer just about football. During the introduction of new baseball coach Kevin Schnall, athletic director Jeremiah Donati also addressed Colonial Life Arena, giving Gamecocks fans a reminder that one of the schools most visible buildings is part of a much bigger long-term planning picture. The arena remains central to the programs identity, but any serious work there is being pushed well down the road while the department keeps its attention on the ongoing Williams-Brice Stadium refurbishment.
Donati made clear that whatever comes next for the arena will depend on funding, planning and the order of the universitys priorities, which means the real decisions are still ahead. And once South Carolina does get to that point, the questions will go well beyond whether the building gets a facelift or something more dramatic, because a major project would also force the school to think through where it would stage home games in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]