SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

During the first week of bowl practice, a beleaguered Gamecock defensive line got a boost in numbers with 2019 signee Devontae Davis participating with the team.

It was a chance for Davis to start the acclimation process to college football and to give his new teammates a sneak peak and what he’ll be able to do next year.

“He’s going to help us a lot,” MJ Webb said. “He was at end during bowl practice and going inside, too. He’s going to be a great pass rusher for us.”

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Davis, who will officially transfer to South Carolina from Georgia Military College in January, was able to participate in the first five or so practices the Gamecocks had before breaking for Christmas and then traveling to Charlotte for on-site bowl practice.

Per NCAA rules, he had to go through a period where he couldn’t participate in padded practices. He spent the first few days in helmet and shorts then upgraded to shells after that.

It’s hard to tell what exactly he’ll be able to do once he does get into full pads and go full speed, but his future teammates caught a glimpse of what he can do.

“He’s fast, and his quick twitch,” Webb said. “I think that’s going to help us a lot.”

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Davis split some time between defensive end and tackle during bowl prep while learning the building blocks to the Gamecocks’ defense.

Offensive lineman Sadarius Hutcherson, who didn’t get to spend much time with him while Davis was on campus, said Davis was always smiling and approached practice with a good attitude for someone that was going through it for the first time.

“He’s got a lot of upside and a lot to work on, but that’s to be expected,” Kobe Smith said. “He hasn’t really been in the system yet, but he looked pretty straight.”

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Davis finished this season for Georgia Military with 30 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

He’ll come in and join a Gamecock defensive line group that is expected to return every player that logged a snap this year.

Right now he’s listed at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds and will fit well as one of the Gamecocks’ pass rushers at defensive end.

“We’re going to start him out at defensive end and then see where it goes from there. He’s a guy that has length. He’s got athleticism,” Will Muschamp said. “How big is he going to get, growth-wise? I think we had Devontae listed at about 280. That’s probably what he’s at, about 280, 285, so again, we’ll evaluate that, but he’s going to start out as a defensive end for us.”