Was the Grass Greener? A Look At Gamecock Portal Departures
By: Stephen Anderson - Gamecock ScoopLike every other program across the country, South Carolina has seen numerous players enter the transfer portal after each season of the Shane Beamer era. We are keeping track of their success/or lack thereof at their next stops. With the rise of the unregulated NIL and the NCAA's softening stance on the one-time transfer rule, expect plenty more roster movement over the coming years. Below is a list with stats of all former scholarship players we could find that were still playing some level of college football in 2023. Due to the insanity that is guys being approved for seven, eight, and nine seasons of football, we will attempt to let you know if these guys are sticking around the college game in 2024.
Ryan Hilinski- QB- Northwestern: Ryan's best season was his freshman campaign at South Carolina. This season he hardly played going 2-4 with 88 yards and a touchdown. In three seasons at Northwestern, he threw 10 touchdowns to 11 picks and completed 54% of his passes. He could take a redshirt for this past season and play one more year in college.
Braden Davis- QB- Syracuse: In his first year with the Orange, Davis only played slightly more than he did at SC, appearing in two games. He was 7-14 for 78 yards passing and had six carries for ten yards. Davis played extensively in Cuse's blowout bowl loss to USF.
Deshaun Fenwick- RB- Oregon State: Fenwick played three seasons at South Carolina and has now played three at Oregon State. We believe his college career is over. This year he rushed for 515 yards on 96 carries (5.4 ypc) and five touchdowns. Fenwick also caught nine balls for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
MarShawn Lloyd- RB- Southern Cal: Lloyd rushed for 820 yards on 116 carries with nine rushing touchdowns. He also had 13 receptions for 232 yards. Lloyd has declared for the draft and will play in the Senior Bowl. For what it's worth, he thanked South Carolina and its' fans in his NFL declaration post.
Jaheim Bell- TE- Florida State: The versatile TE scored his only three touchdowns within the first three weeks of the season and finished with 39 receptions for 503 yards. He added a rushing touchdown in Week 1 against LSU and finished with two yards rushing on four carries. Bell opted out of the Orange Bowl, (shocker), and has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Austin Stogner- TE- Oklahoma: Stogner went back to Norman to play his final season of college football. He started all 12 regular season games and caught 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown.
Joseph Anderson- DE- Purdue: Anderson left South Carolina after Will Muschamp was fired in 2020. He has been at Purdue ever since and appears to have one more season of eligibility. In 2023, he recorded 16 tackles.
Makius Scott- DT- Georgia Tech: Scott never saw the field in 2020 in Columbia, his lone season as a Gamecock. He transferred to Atlanta and has been with the Jackets ever since. He recorded 34 tackles with two passes defended and a forced fumble in 2023. He has one season remaining.
Jordan Burch- DE- Oregon: Burch's numbers were down across the board in Oregon from his 2022 campaign in Columbia. He still led the Ducks in tackles for loss with 7.5 and finished with 34 total tackles and three sacks. Burch has announced that he will play his final season of college for Oregon in 2024.
Gilber Edmond- DE- Florida State: As our readers know, Edmonds is officially headed back to Columbia for his final season of college football. Edmonds got buried on the depth chart at FSU and finished with 21 tackles including one sack. He also forced a fumble.
Shilo Sanders- DB- Colorado: Shilo left the Gamecocks after Will Muschamp's firing and went with his father to Jackson State and then to Colorado. It appears he has one season of eligibility left. In 2023, Shilo had 67 tackles with one interception that went for a pick-six against Colorado State. He was also credited with three pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
Johnny Dixon- DB- Penn State: Dixon had a solid career at Penn State and would been welcomed in Carolina's secondary these last three seasons. Dixon transferred out of the program when Muschamp was fired. In 2023, Dixon had 26 tackles, three pass breakups, 4.5 sacks, and a forced fumble and interception. Dixon opted out of the Peach Bowl and accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl.
Corey Rucker- WR- Arkansas State: In his second stint with the Red Wolves, Rucker played in all 13 games and caught 36 passes for 705 yards with two touchdowns, both in Arkansas State's bowl loss to NIU. He also was credited with one carry for six yards.
Eric Shaw- WR- Troy: Shaw moved to linebacker during his second season at Troy. We recorded four tackles and .5 a sack. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Rashad Amos- RB-Miami OH: Amos rushed for 1,075 yards on 210 carries with ten rushing touchdowns. He added six receptions for 37 yards. Amos appears to have two seasons left to play and entered the transfer portal following the season. Per his Instagram page, it does not appear he has committed anywhere yet.
Dominick Hill- WR- Temple: Hill moved to DB at Temple. He recorded 47 tackles, forced a fumble, and defended four passes in 2023. Hill has entered the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. It does not appear that he has committed anywhere.
Jordan Davis- OT- South Alabama: After not appearing in a game in two years at South Carolina, Davis appeared in ten games this past season for USA. It appears he has two seasons of eligibility left.
Colin Henrich- OT- Georgia State: Henrich was not on scholarship at Carolina. It does not appear that he ever played in a game for the Panthers in 2023.
William Rogers- OT- Coastal Carolina: Rogers transferred to Coastal after spending 2022 at McNeese State. He also switched to the defensive side of the ball. He appeared in only two games for Coastal in 2023 and recorded one tackle. It appears he would have one season of eligibility remaining.
Vincent Murphy- OL- Western Kentucky: Murphy would have started in Columbia the last two seasons. He was honorable mention All-Conference USA as a center. He has a season of eligibility left. He started all 13 games for the Hilltoppers in 2023
Demetrius Watson- DT- Coastal Carolina: Watson was a redshirt freshman this season after not seeing the field in Columbia during 2022. He played in three games including the Aloha Bowl and recorded three tackles.
Jahmar Brown- LB- Coastal Carolina: Brown is best remembered in Columbia for dropping the ball prior to crossing the goal line on a would-be touchdown against Troy. In 2023, Brown played in five games including the bowl, and recorded six tackles and a sack. Somehow Brown has one season left that he will spend at Liberty after committing to the Flames in December 2023.
Kolbe Fields- LB- Louisiana Tech: Fields lasted only one season at South Carolina and one at LSU. He sat out 2023 after transferring for a second time.
R.J. Roderick- DB- Liberty: Roderick is not listed on the Flames roster on the school's athletics website. He does not appear to have played at Liberty this past season.
Joey Hunter- DB- Akron: Hunter was in Columbia for three seasons and played in nine games. In his first year at Akron, Hunter played in seven games and finished with eight tackles and seven pass breakups. He has two years remaining we believe.
Jason Brown- QB- Jackson State: Brown is probably the most popular Gamecock to have transferred out after saving the 2021 season with wins over Florida and Auburn. Brown transferred to Virginia Tech after Spencer Rattler committed to Carolina. Last season he transferred to Jackson State for his final season. He played in eight games and threw for 1,399 yards and eight TDs to three interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown. He has been in college since 2018 so he should have exhausted all eligibility.
Rico Powers Jr.- WR- Jackson State: Powers caught 25 balls for 385 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. He also returned 11 kicks for 201 yards. He has entered the transfer portal with two seasons of eligibility remaining. It appears that the former Rivals250 WR is undecided at the moment where he will spend 2024.
Ger-Cari Caldwell- WR- NC A&T: Caldwell had 15 catches for 184 yards and no scores this season. He appears to have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
KeShawn Toney- TE- SC State: After spending his last season at UT Chattanooga, Toney transferred into the Bulldogs program for 2023. He finished with 20 catches for 244 yards and five touchdowns. He appears to have one season remaining.
Karon Prunty- DB- NC A&T: Prunty finished 2023 with 38 tackles, five passes defended, and a sack. He appears to have two seasons of eligibility remaining. He was named to the 2023 CAA Third Team Defense. Prunty transferred to Carolina from Kansas and transferred back out before the 2021 season began.
Sam Reynolds- WR- Towson St: Reynolds did not appear in any games for Towson this season for unknown reasons.
Rodricus "Hot Rod" Fitten- DE- East Tennessee State: Fitten appeared in ten games for ETSU and recorded six tackles and .5 a sack. It appears he could be eligible for one more season.
Tyrese Ross- Samford- DB: Ross arrived at Samford via South Carolina via Washington State. Ross finished his college career (maybe) playing in all 11 Samford games and recording 28 tackles, defending a pass, and recovering one fumble.
Two of three Gamecocks suspended on gun chargers for an incident in January of 2023 wound up in junior college for 2023.
Anthony Rose- DB- East Mississippi CC: Rose appeared in only a single game according to EMCC's official team website. In that single game on Sep. 7, Rose finished with four tackles and one pass breakup.
Cameron Upshaw Jr.- Garden City CC: Upshaw had a solid season playing in 10 games with 38 tackles, and 1/2 of a sack, forcing a fumble and intercepting three passes. Upshaw had previously told Phil Kornblut that he wished to return to USC in January. Thus far that hasn't happened.
