The transfer portal can be a blessing one day and a setback the next. South Carolina recently secured the Southwestern Atlantic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Andrew Jones, from Grambling just 48 hours ago, but now he has already committed to another school.
The Grambling linebacker was one of the best in the transfer portal and a target for many schools in need of building their defense. With all the hits the South Carolina defense has taken from graduation adn the NFL, landing Jones was big for the Gamecocks, especially with a thin linebacker room.
However, even after committing to the Gamecocks, Jones had another official visit set with one SEC rival, Ole Miss. South Carolina fans knew that a commitment wasn’t a signed deal to play for the Gamecocks next season, but they at least figured Jones would step foot in Columbia, South Carolina, first before already committing somewhere else.
Jones had only one year of eligibility remaining, so his arrival wasn’t meant to be a long-term solution, but it stings to see him transfer to a rival school, especially one that’s on the 2025 schedule.
Beamer will now need to turn to the portal once again to strengthen the linebacker room, which is losing key players like Demtrius Knight Jr., Debo Williams, and Bam Martin-Scott, all of whom have graduated, with some planning to enter the NFL Draft.
The Gamecocks have been hit by the transfer portal and declarations for the NFL Draft on both sides of the ball, but they will need more help on the defensive side of the ball going forward, with a little over two weeks left in the portal window.
The Gamecocks have been impacted by the transfer portal and NFL Draft declarations on both sides of the ball, but they will need additional help on defense moving forward, with just over two weeks remaining in the portal window.
The good news is that this isn’t the only portal window before next season. The spring window will open on April 16, 2025, and close on April 28, 2025, coinciding with the middle of spring practices.
