Defensive linemen, freshmen among highest graded defensive players

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

For Carolina's defense, despite how banged up it was, struggled at times this season.

The Gamecocks had a few defensive linemen grade out fairly well with some of the team's freshmen showing some serious signs of promise over the course of their career.

Despite being hampered by a few lingering injuries over his junior season, Javon Kinlaw finished the team's highest- graded defender with an 85.3 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus's grades.

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His best grade, a 97 that came against Vanderbilt, was the highest of anyone in the country that week with seven of the games he played finishing with a grade of 70.

But, he's not the only defensive lineman to finish in the top-graded players defensively.

Kobe Smith (76.4) and J.J. Enagbare (75.7) were both in the top five graded defenders while Keir Thomas finished in the top 10 as well. Shameik Blackshear also had a team-high tackling grade with an 84.4.

Enagbare finished the regular season as the team's highest-graded freshman with Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn also making the top 10 graded players. Mukuamu finished with a 73.9 coverage grade, second-highest on the team behind D.J. Wonnum.

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Part of the All-SEC Freshman team, Horn had a 72.8 overall grade and a 73.7 coverage grade.

R.J. Roderick, who stepped into a starting role halfway through the season, finished with a 61.5 grade while Jonathan Gipson had a 60.3 after playing in one game.

Ernest Jones (90 snaps) was the team's fourth-highest graded player at 75.7 while other freshman linebacker Rosendo Louis Jr. had a 58.6 grade and a 71.7 tackling grade. He also had a 73.4 coverage grade.

The team's returning linebackers with at least 100 snaps—T.J. Brunson, Sherrod Gree and Damani Staley—graded out at 63.1, 62 and 64.3, respectively.

Josh Belk, who played more down the stretch, finished with a 61.1 grade and a 75.1 tackling grade. Rick Sandidge, one of the team's rotational defenisve linemen, graded out at 64.4. That's good enough for fifth among interior linemen.

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Top 10-graded Gamecocks

Javon Kinlaw: 85.3 (567 snaps)

Kobe Smith: 76.4 (388 snaps)

J.J. Enagbare: 75.7 (177 snaps)

Ernest Jones: 74.7 (90 snaps)

Bryson Allen-Williams: 73.9 (406 snaps)

Israel Mukuamu: 73.7 (246 snaps)

Jaycee Horn: 72.8 (570 snaps)

Keisean Nixon: 70.6 (731 snaps)

Keir Thomas: 69.9 (540 snaps)

Rashad Fenton: 67.8 (783 snaps)