South Carolina freshman offensive lineman Darius Gray has landed on On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-America team, another sign that his first season in Columbia has been anything but ordinary.
Gray, a 6-3, 302-pound lineman from Chesterfield, Va., has been on the field from the start this year. He has played in and started all six games for the Gamecocks, splitting his time between both tackle spots with three starts at each position.
His work up front has come in a run game that’s rolling. South Carolina leads the SEC in rushing and ranks 10th nationally at 232.2 yards per game on the ground.
The Gamecocks are also averaging 5.98 yards per carry, which ranks seventh in the country. Carolina is one of only two SEC teams with multiple players inside the league’s top 10 in rushing this season.
Gray has also held up well in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed eight pressures on 235 dropbacks, putting him among the top pass protectors of any true freshman offensive tackle this season.
Gray and the Gamecocks return to action against No. 11 Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Oct.
- Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN.
On3’s Midseason True Freshmen All-America Team includes: QB - Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
RB - Jonaz Walton, Notre Dame WR - Kenny Darby, Kentucky
WR - Legend Glasker, BYU WR - Jesse Legree, Oregon State
TE - Mark Bowman, Southern Cal OL - Kevin Brown, West Virginia
OL - Darius Gray, South Carolina OL - Zykie Helton, Georgia
OL - Bott Mulitalo, BYU OL - Wilson Zierer, Auburn
EDGE - Zion Elee, Maryland EDGE - Luke Wafle, Southern Cal
DL - Deuce Geralds, LSU DL - Derek Colman-Brusa, Washington
LB - Xavier Griffin, Alabama LB - Jack Murray, Northern Illinois
DB - JJ Dunnigan, Miami DB - Somad Eaddy, Wake Forest
DB - Mason Lewis, Vanderbilt DB - Jay Timmons, Ohio State
DB - Josiah Zayas, Penn State
In Other News...
South Carolina Presents A Tougher Test Than Tennessee Fans May Expect
South Carolina gets Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN, and Josh Heupel made it clear this is not the kind of SEC trip the Volunteers can treat casually. The Tennessee coach pointed to the Gamecocks recent play and the benefit of a bye week as reasons to expect a sharper, more prepared opponent than some fans may anticipate.
Heupel said the challenge starts with understanding what South Carolina does well, especially on the defensive side, where the Gamecocks have shown clear strengths. For Tennessee, the assignment is as much about preparation as it is execution, because this matchup offers the kind of road test that can tighten quickly if the visitors are not ready from the start. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Has A Real Chance To Shake Up Tennessee
A new wrinkle is building around South Carolinas Week 8 matchup with Tennessee, and it starts with an unexpected boost from the outside. David Pollack, the former Georgia linebacker turned college football analyst, sees the Gamecocks as a live upset threat when the Volunteers come to Williams-Brice Stadium, pointing to South Carolinas running game and defense as the kind of combination that can tilt a big SEC night in Columbia.
The setting only adds to the intrigue, with ESPN set to televise a game that already has the feel of a measuring-stick moment for South Carolina. Tennessee will bring the name brand and the expectations, but Pollacks read suggests the Gamecocks have the pieces to make this a far tougher road environment than many would expect, especially if their physical style travels the way he thinks it can. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Defense Faces Its Real Test After Florida Turnaround
South Carolinas defense finally looked like itself again against Florida, and the improvement showed up in the kind of plays that change games. The Gamecocks got to the quarterback for three sacks, forced a fumble, picked off multiple passes and held the Gators to 19 points, a sharp step forward after a shaky stretch that had put the unit under the microscope.
Now comes the tougher part. Tennessee brings a strong running offense into the matchup, which means South Carolina has to prove the Florida turnaround was more than a one-game reset. The players and coaches have pointed to cleaner execution and better accountability as the reasons for the bounce back, and the real question is whether that same standard holds up when the Vols start leaning on the ground game. [Read more 🡒]