The Gamecocks are only 88 days away from kicking off against Kent State in Williams-Brice Stadium to open the 2026 college football season. Summer workouts and
Oct 18, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Dylan Stewart attempt to knock down a pass by Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images The Gamecocks are only 88 days away from kicking off against Kent State in Williams-Brice Stadium to open the 2026 college football season. Summer workouts and fall camp are on deck first, but before the Gamecocks reach those events let's take a quick look at which position groups on the defensive side stand out.heading into the season back in May.
This time around we will flip sides of the ball and rank the defense. Our groupings for each position will be as followed: defensive line, edge rushers, linebackers , and defensive backs. In a day and age of players coming in at a variety of positions on any given down, this ranking will work to keep things simple and group players for their main positions.
As was the case for the offensive side of the ball, there is one position group on this side of the ball that is headlined by a star talent. Without further ado, let's begin the rankings with those tasked with taking the quarterbacks to the ground. With a good season and tape similar to his freshman season, Dylan Stewart could wind up being a top 10 pick in next year's NFL Draft.
He is one of the premier edge rushers in the country and burst onto the scene as a true freshman making plays left and right. Injuries set him back last season along with offenses focusing on stopping him from being a true game wrecker. Stewart has been recovering from a back injury this offseason, the same one that plagued him in 2025. Should he be healthy for this season, he could be eyeing the Gamecock's single season sack record.
Along with Stewart, sits talented players like redshirt freshman Anthony Addison, Tennessee transfer Caleb Herring, Arkansas State transfer Drew Collins, and true freshman Julian Walker. For Addison, Herring, and Collins it's about building off their college experience to man the side opposite Stewart. The name to keep an eye out for is Julian Walker who has garnered praise this offseason.
Nov 22, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Judge Collier and defensive back Peyton Williams celebrate a play against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images This grouping will include your outside corners, nickel corners, and safeties.
For the past couple of years this room has been filled with experience and remained near the top of the defensive units on the squad. Vicari Swain and Judge Collier return to man the outside corner spots. Their experience and level of play should give the Gamecocks a baseline of good corner play next season. Behind them sits Demarcus Leach and Kosci Barnes, who both should see the field this fall.
Kentucky transfer Quay'Sheed Scott . Both guys should see the field with Scott being able to play multiple positions in this defense. At safety, Peyton Williams appears to have one spot locked up with a battle going on at the other. David Bucey is the experienced player in the room and may have a leg up because of that.
However both Kendal Daniels Jr. and J'Zavien Currence come in highly touted form the high school ranks and could push for the starting job early in the season. Nov 23, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Fred Johnson tackles Wofford Terriers punt returner Cam Smith in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Imagesoffers at the position and believe he could play a big role in 2026 for Clayton White's defense. Johnson became a full time starter in his sophomore season of 2025.
He finished third on the team in tackles and started off last season with a bang earning SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors against Virginia Tech.and Sean Murphy will be the guys filtering in next to Johnson the most this coming season. Okoronkwo appears to hold that starting gig after starting eight of the final nine games of 2025. He is an extremely gifted athlete and appears to be getting better with time.
Murphy should be the first guy off the bench to replace Johnson and Okoronkwo. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy returns this fall as the starter with Troy Pikes, Tomiwa Durojaiye, Kelby Collins, Jordan Thomas, Christian Ingram, and Noah Clark looking to enter the rotation. In 2025, the Gamecocks were tough to run on due to a lot of experience in the defensive tackle room.
This year's unit combines experience with potential in hopes of turning around a run defense that ranked near the bottom of the SEC in 2026. Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsAlex Joyce is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism. Alex began his career in television as a news and sports reporter.
During his career, Alex has been able to cover everything from breaking news to the game’s brightest moments. His passion for journalism drives him to deliver compelling stories and to connect with his audiences.
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Best Older Amazon Echo Models Still Worth Buying in 2026Explore top-rated older Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays that remain excellent purchases in 2026. Find great deals on Echo Dot 3rd Gen, Echo Dot 5th Gen, Echo Show 8, Echo Pop, and Echo Studio for a budget-friendly smart home setup with full Alexa support and key features.
Read more »
Live Updates From Apple WWDC 2026 🔴Follow along with the Gizmodo crew as we unpack everything Apple announces at its annual developer conference in Cupertino.
Read more »
Internet falls in love with German soccer fan discovering American South ahead of 2026 World CupA German soccer fan named Freddy is documenting his 2026 World Cup road trip through the American South, visiting Waffle House, Helen, Georgia, and more.
Read more »
South Carolina Adds Former Coastal Carolina LHP Hayden Johnson in the Transfer PortalThe work is just beginning for Kevin Schnall as he prepares to take over a South Carolina baseball program in desparate need of a talent upgrade. With several o
Read more »