During the final 10 days until the start of South Carolina's season, Gamecock Central will use each day to take a look at 10 storylines that will most directly affect the success of Carolina's 2018 campaign.
With three days until kickoff, we look at our No. 3 storyline - how good can Javon Kinlaw be?
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By now you've probably heard the stories of Javon Kinlaw's transformation from 340-pound junior college transfer to 300-pound potential NFL Draft pick.
You've likely seen the photos circulating online or heard the whispers from Carolina's workouts and wondered how a man that big can have that little body fat or move that fast.
The hype around Gamecock defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is real. Now, he'll answer the question: just how good can Kinlaw be this season?
It's hard to bet against him.
"This has been my first true offseason, so I feel like it's been a good one for me, especially in the weight room," Kinlaw said before camp started. "I always knew when I got the weight off, I knew I could run and stuff. I felt like I wasn't very strong; now I feel like I've got some strength."
Weight room strength or not, opponents felt Kinlaw's impact last year. As the season progressed, so did he. Snaps went up and so did big plays from arguably the Gamecocks' most physically impressive player.
Kinlaw was credited with 20 tackles including 2 tackles for loss in his 13 games last year. He also broke up three passes, recovered two fumbles, forced one fumble and blocked a kick.
The numbers are nice. And will probably go up this year. But he's also probably more well equipped to do some of the things required of defensive tackles that don't go in the stat sheet, after head coach Will Muschamp challenged him to get stronger this offseason.
"I've been facing two or three blockers last year," Kinlaw said. "Now I feel like I'm better prepared for those type of situations. I feel like I can hold a double team much better than I did last year. Last year, I was really just playing on brute strength, it wasn't really any weight-room strength last year. I feel like I can hold the double team better and triple team if I have to."
Kinlaw believes he can hold up in those situations, but he also wants to continue to make plays in the backfield and on the perimeter. And it's hard to envision anyone stopping him from that quest.
"I just think it's one of the great stories in college football," Muschamp said. "You look every day at the difference you're able to make in a young man's life and he's making the difference for himself. That's who I would credit the most. He's a young man who’s been through some tough situations and has continued to fight and persevere, and he's an example to us all."
On Saturday afternoon, Kinlaw and the Gamecocks will make their season debut against Coastal Carolina. A stronger, slimmer, more prepared Kinlaw will probably make a lot of plays. And then NFL scouts will start drooling over his unlimited potential.
But that's not something he's currently focused on.
“I haven’t really put too much thought into (the NFL),” Kinlaw said, according to the Post and Courier. “I just really want to play good this year and I got the opportunity to come back next year. We’ll see how it goes.”
The 10 days until football
No. 4 - The return of Bryson Allen-Williams
No. 5 - Breakout year for Rico Dowdle?
No. 6 - T.J. Brunson the leader
No. 7 - The emergence of Jaycee Horn
No. 9 - The graduate transfers
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