SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL
A healthy, experienced and determined T.J. Brunson is prepared to attack his final season at South Carolina.
The Gamecocks senior linebacker, a graduate of Columbia's nearby Richland Northeast High School, has dealt with nagging injuries and admitted inconsistencies at the position, but is looking to make his last year his best.
"I feel really good," Brunson said last week at SEC Media Days. "I feel like this offseason has been a key offseason for me. I've felt the best that I've felt in years. Just going into this season, I feel like you're going to be able to see a lot more explosiveness and speed, just a lot more execution when it comes to finishing plays."
Brunson, a starter and team leader for the last two seasons, has started every game over that span and has collected 206 career tackles including 15.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.
The Gamecocks' leading tackler last season and one of four permanent captains, Brunson fought through injuries to collect a career-high 106 tackles before having surgery to repair a sports hernia and damaged knee cartilage in the offseason.
Brunson was easily one of the most productive players on a defense that saw injuries stack up at multiple positions throughout the season. Brunson, a co-MVP on that side of the ball along with Javon Kinlaw, still sees room for improvement from a defensive front that surrendered over 195 rushing yards per game, 13th in the conference.
"I feel like last year we weren't as consistent and confident [as we needed to be]," Brunson said echoing comments from head coach Will Muschamp and linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler. "Just making plays and finishing plays, that wasn't what we did well last year. I think going into this season, there will be a huge improvement in that just in the way that we've prepared and just the experience. Experience has been the best teacher for me. I just see those younger guys taking the steps that they need to be better. And know that they're taking those steps, will also help with the experience that they have."
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound middle linebacker has seen growth from the young players around him as Sherrod Greene, now a junior, has had the chance to learn from his first season starting. Greene should battle with senior Eldridge Thompson to start at the WILL linebacker spot.
Brunson also raves about sophomore Ernest Jones. Currently Brunson's backup at the MIKE, Jones got all the reps there with Brunson out this spring and there is a scenario where the Gamecocks could slide Brunson to the WILL in order to get the two players on the field at the same time.
With more depth and more experience, Brunson sees a group with the opportunity to take a step forward this season.
"It motivates us, because we all know we don't want to be in that position," Brunson said, referencing some of the stats from last year. "We all know that we're better than what we put out. The things that happened weren't necessarily what we wanted to happen. But that's the game -- adversity and how you bounce back from that. Looking at the film from last year, guys understand, they see what we can improve on and what needs to be improved on so that we can have a better season. People are buying into that."
