How Wonnum, Sterling have looked this spring

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Over the back half of the season last year, Mike Peterson was coaching with one hand tied behind his back.

He was incredibly thin at the BUCK and end position for the Gamecocks’ stretch run with D.J. Wonnum, Aaron Sterling and Bryson Allen-Williams all out with significant injuries.

Allen-Williams is off now pursuing his NFL dreams but Wonnum and Sterling—after a few frustrating months of rehab—are back and getting back to their old selves.

“I tell guys all the time injuries are probably the hardest part of the game. Working out and meetings, those are easy. When you get injured, that’s a lonely place and it’s a slow crawl back. But it builds that mental toughness of being able to go do my rehab by myself or being able to understand that it’s a process,” Peterson said. “A lot of those guys were frustrated; Aaron was frustrated, D.J. was frustrated but to be able to go through rehab, train and now get back out there, it feels good. I think that’s where they’re at with their game.”

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The Gamecocks lost Wonnum early in the year with the then junior going down in the second half of the season opener with an ankle injury. He played in just four more games the rest of the year with just 11 tackles and two sacks.

He spent the offseason getting healthy and is back and is a full participant as the Gamecocks enter the final week of spring practice.

And, through 11 practices, he’s back to the same old Wonnum.

“He looks good. Earlier in camp he was a little limited,” Peterson said. “I was trying to keep him out and get him back in to the flow of things. As of late he’s been running around and doing everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Also see: Observations from Thursday's spring practice

For Peterson, it was a delicate balance for the two-time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week that led the Gamecocks in sacks his sophomore year, trying to strike the right amount of getting Wonnum in drills and limiting his miles while he tried to work out the kinks coming back from injury.

Wonnum already has the game experience needed to go out and succeed at a high level—31 career games, 100 total tackles and 20 career tackles for loss—and is looking good fully healthy running on his ankle.

“He’s looks good,” Peterson said. “It’s a little bit of a push and tug with him because he wants to get out there for every snap and do every drill and I’m trying to keep him on a limited basis and pull him out just to knock the rust off, but he looks good.”

Also see: What Mike Peterson said about the Gamecocks' BUCKs and ends

Sterling is coming off a serious knee injury he suffered against Ole Miss that kept him out of the final five games of his sophomore season.

Before the injury he played in every game that year with 15 tackles, three for loss, and a fumble recovery. Over 21 career games he has 38 tackles and three sacks.

This year he’s expected to start as a junior but is competing with sophomore end J.J. Enagbare taking reps behind him at defensive end.

Through the teams first four weeks of spring practice, Sterling hasn’t had any real problems with his knee.

“He’s been looking good. I’ve been impressed with him,” Peterson said. “At times he wants to drag it around and not believe it’s healthy but I have to remind him, ‘Your knee’s good. Let’s go play ball.’ He’s bee playing good. With J.J. behind him, those two guys I make them compete in everything. It’s been good having him back out there and making some players.”