South Carolina spent the offseason trying to patch holes on defense, and the transfer portal gave Clayton White and his staff plenty to work with. The Gamecocks added three defensive linemen, two EDGE players and a pair of transfers in the secondary, including one cornerback who just arrived this week and is already expected to matter.
With the season set to open next Saturday against Kent State in Williams-Brice Stadium, here’s a look at the five defensive transfers with the best chance to shape what South Carolina does in 2026.
- Tomiwa Durojaiye
Tomiwa Durojaiye entered South Carolina as one of the marquee names in the transfer class, and he has backed that up with a strong spring and preseason camp.
At 6-foot-4 and 291 pounds, Durojaiye posted 16 tackles last season, including 4.5 for loss and two sacks. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 13 defensive lineman in the transfer portal.
He also arrives with plenty of mileage, having played at Kentucky, West Virginia, Florida State and Illinois. Over the last three seasons, he has been credited with 42 total tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Gamecock247 heard that Durojaiye stood out on the defensive line in the second scrimmage of preseason camp, and that kind of momentum makes him a strong candidate to be a major part of Travian Robertson’s rotation. He also has a real shot to be one of the two defensive tackles in the starting 11 against Kent State.
- Caleb Herring
Caleb Herring said his best spring came this year, and the numbers from last season back up why South Carolina likes him. At Tennessee, he finished with six tackles for loss and four sacks in 2025.
Deion Barnes, though, said Herring was even better this summer.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound EDGE has put together 25 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks over three seasons with the Volunteers. He also earned the Gamecock Toughness Award for the defense in the spring.
South Carolina is looking for someone to step in opposite Dylan Stewart when he returns, and Herring is the obvious name in that conversation because of his SEC background. Barnes described what he’s seen from him at Birdies with Beamer:
"What I saw from him is a guy that's focused," Barnes said on Herring at Birdies with Beamer. "He takes detailed notes.
He's really detailed in the drills. He's really detailed in knowing what he's done wrong.
Before I say, 'Caleb, what'd you doing wrong here?' He'll spit it out, knowing that he going to fix it next time.
He's very self-aware, and self-aware players that I've had in the past have been really good football players."
- Quay'sheed Scott
Quay'sheed Scott has been in a battle at nickel with Gerald Kilgore since arriving on campus, but the competition does not change the expectation: he should matter for this defense in 2026.
Scott, who is back home after spending his first two college seasons at Kentucky, is 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds. In 2025, he mostly played nickel and finished with 39 tackles and an interception.
Shane Beamer said last week that he’s been "really pleased" with Scott’s progress in camp, and the coach pointed to a clearer grasp of the defense as a big reason why.
"I feel like Quay'sheed has kind of taken a step in the last week or so. I sat with him at lunch the other day, and we talked about it.
Just understanding the defense and things are slowing down. Know what he's doing but now being able to recognize the offense and what they're doing.
I think he's playing faster and at a higher level. He's certainly a guy that has shown that he's got really good cover skills."
Gamecock247 also heard Scott looked "really good" in the first scrimmage of camp.
- Kelby Collins
Kelby Collins brings another experienced body to Travian Robertson’s defensive tackle group.
He has played in 32 games between Florida and Alabama and has been credited with 41 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Last season at Alabama, he had 12 tackles, three for loss and two sacks.
Collins said Tuesday afternoon that he feels he’s grew"tremendously" in preseason camp.
"Obviously, I'm a vet. This my fourth year, so I've had some good position coaches over the years.
Just taking what they've taught me, and then taking what coach T-Rob has taught me and his mentality. I feel like I've grown a lot, and then I have a great room behind me helping me in areas that I might slack off sometimes.
But I've taken taking a huge step, in my opinion."
South Carolina likes to rotate defensive tackles throughout games, and Collins looks set to play meaningful snaps all season.
- Ethan Johnson
Ethan Johnson is the newest face in the secondary, but South Carolina appears to think he can help right away.
The Gamecocks are thin on experience at cornerback behind Judge Collier and Vicari Swain, which makes Johnson an important addition. He played in 47 games at Appalachian State, starting 39 of them, and finished with 141 total tackles, 30 passes defended and an interception.
Johnson was a second-team All-Sun Belt pick in 2023 and a third-team selection in 2025.
Shane Beamer said Tuesday that the staff believes Johnson can make an immediate impact, while also making it clear the move came with purpose:
"We wouldn't have brought him in if we didn't feel like he had a chance to make an immediate impact and we do," Shane Beamer said on Tuesday when breaking down Johnson's addition. "Now, it's not easy.
Don't get me wrong. He hasn't played since whenever their last game was.
That was my question. It was OK, what's he been doing since then?
We don't need some guy that's been sitting at the house since January. He's been staying active and staying busy."
Johnson was one of 16 players granted a TRO this past week, opening the door for him to join South Carolina for a fifth season of eligibility.
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