South Carolina’s defensive tackle group lived up to the preseason buzz in a 57-0 rout of Kent State, and the biggest takeaway from Saturday was simple: the Gamecocks have real numbers inside.
Kelby Collins and Tomiwa Durojaiye opened the game as the starters, but the rotation kept turning all afternoon. That depth showed up in the production sheet, with Durojaiye leading the tackles among the group with three, including one for loss, and earning one of the coaching staff’s defensive player of the game honors.
On Sunday, Shane Beamer made it clear he liked what he saw from Travian Robertson’s room, and he pointed to the kind of depth that can matter later in the year.
"I've talked about it with you guys before, just our D-line rotation. It is good," Beamer said on Sunday.
"A couple guys that we're high on didn't even play a whole lot yesterday. That being Jordan Thomas and Caleb Williams, and then Aiden came in there at the end and then they flashed.
We got to continue to bring those guys along."
South Carolina got contributions from plenty of bodies beyond the starters. Troy Pikes finished with two tackles, while Aiden Harris, Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Thomas and Collins each had one.
Brownlow-Dindy’s tackle went for a loss. Freshman Noah Clark didn’t show up in the stat sheet, but Beamer said he was disruptive during his snaps.
Beamer said the constant turnover at the position helped keep everyone fresh, and that the Gamecocks have a much deeper group than they did a year ago.
"Certainly, those top guys played well. Travian was rolling them in and out of there to keep them fresh, but when you got that much depth and you can roll some guys in there without feeling like there's a drop off, that's huge," Beamer said.
"I think I talked about it with you guys back in '24. We had a four-man rotation with Boogie, Tonka, T.J. and DeAndre Jules, and then Nick Barrett was kind of the fifth guy that would play.
But that was really about it.
"Certainly, last year we didn't have much of a rotation at that defensive tackle position, but we've got so many now. That's really an advantage as the year goes, and then as the game goes, to keep those guys fresh."
For Beamer, the opener was a strong start, but not the finished product. He said the tackles did a "nice job" against Kent State and expects the room to keep growing as the season unfolds.
"Tomiwa, like I said, was our player of the game," he said. "Noah Clark, for a freshman, he was disruptive and was running and was hard to move.
Kelby started, did a nice job. Gabe's a load and a force inside.
Troy Pikes is out there running around. It's a good group, and I'm eager to see them continue to get better."
In Other News...
South Carolina Fans Will Notice A Different Williams-Brice Atmosphere Saturday
Williams-Brice Stadium will look and feel a little different Saturday when South Carolina hosts Towson for its annual Salute the Troops game. The Gamecocks are leaning into a full day of pageantry, with military honors, auctions, merchandise sales and other fan-focused activities part of the game-day mix, while also working to smooth out some of the experience issues that showed up last time fans filled the building.
Around the game itself, the school has lined up extra events meant to stretch the atmosphere well beyond kickoff, including stadium tours and pep rallies. For South Carolina, it is a chance to make the setting feel more polished and more festive at once, with the tributes to service members at the center and the fan experience under a closer spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Beamer Just Sent A Clear Message About South Carolina Leadership
Shane Beamer shook up a familiar tradition by naming six team captains just about 48 hours before South Carolina opens the 2025 season, giving the clubhouse, as much as the locker room, an early read on who the players trust most. The group, chosen by vote, includes quarterback LaNorris Sellers, tight end Brady Hunt, linebackers Fred Johnson and Shawn Murphy, and defensive backs Gerald Kilgore and Peyton Williams, a cross-section of the roster that suggests Beamer wanted leadership spread across the offense and defense.
The timing was no accident. Beamer said the move was designed to address leadership concerns from last season, and the decision also gives the Gamecocks a chance to let those voices set the tone before the first snap matters. The captaincy votes will be revisited after the season, but for now South Carolina has made its priorities plain: establish accountability early, lean on player buy-in and see whether this group can steady the team from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Gamecocks Still Have One O-Line Decision Looming As Peak Nears Return
Jacarrius Peaks arrival was supposed to give South Carolina another experienced option up front, but the N.C. State transfer has spent the opening stretch working back from a knee injury suffered soon after he joined the program. He did not play in the season opener, leaving the Gamecocks to lean on freshman Darius Gray and transfer Dayne Arnett at tackle while the staff managed the line without one of its anticipated additions.
Shane Beamer said Peaks return is expected soon, and once he is healthy, the coaches will sort out where he fits. That creates one more live decision for an offensive line that has already had to adjust on the fly, with the Gamecocks now waiting to see whether Peak slides into a starting job or gives them needed depth as they head deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]