USC football coach Shane Beamer Tuesday afternoon officially introduced his new running backs coach Montario Hardesty. Hardesty filled the final opening on the staff and is the Gamecocks third running backs coach in two years replacing Thomas Brown and Des Kitchings who both moved on tot he NFL.
Hardesty spent the last two seasons coaching receivers at Charlotte. He’s a native of New Bern, NC and was a star running back at Tennessee rushing for 1345 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. In 2009, he was the Offensive MVP for North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl. Hardesty was a second round draft pick of the Browns in 2010 and was with them until knee issues ended his career in 2013.
Beamer also released the roster for spring practice. The Gamecocks are scheduled to start spring drills March 20th and play their spring game April 24th.
Shane Beamer press conference
Montario Hardesty press conference
USC spring football roster (alphabetical)
- 49 Dave Adams TE 6-2 220 R-FR HS Gadsden, S.C. (Blythewood)
- 16 Trey Adkins WR 5-11 175 R-JR 2L Simpsonville, S.C. (Hillcrest)
- 25 Rashad Amos RB 6-2 215 R-FR SQ Fayetteville, Ga. (Sandy Creek)
- 59 Matthew Bailey LS 6-1 210 R-SO 1L Deland, Fla. (Deland)
- 76 Nick Barrett DL 6-2 310 FR HS Goldsboro, N.C. (Eastern Wayne)
- 49 James Bartholomew WR 5-9 180 R-SR TR Hilton Head, S.C. (Hilton Head Christian/Illinois)
- 23 Jaheim Bell TE 6-2 230 SO 1L Lake City, Fla. (Valdosta)
- 81 Jalen Brooks WR 6-2 200 SR 1L Harrisburg, N.C. (Hickory Ridge/Tarleton State)
- 7 Ahmarean Brown WR 5-9 165 JR TR Tampa, Fla. (Jefferson/Georgia Tech)
- 8 Jahmar Brown LB 6-1 210 R-SO 1L Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
- 15 Jason Brown QB 6-3 235 R-SR TR Fredericksburg, Va. (Chancellor/St. Francis (Pa.))
- 3 Jordan Burch EDGE 6-6 270 SO 1L Columbia, S.C. (Hammond School)
- 89 Ger-Cari Caldwell WR 6-5 200 SO 1L Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern)
- 68 Wyatt Campbell OL 6-5 305 R-JR SQ Elgin, S.C. (Lugoff-Elgin)
- 97 Devontae Davis DL 6-3 305 R-SR SQ New Ellenton, S.C. (Silver Bluff/Georgia Military)
- 60 Jordan Davis OL 6-4 300 FR HS Fairburn, Ga. (Creekside)
- 8 Randrecous Davis WR 5-10 195 R-SR 2L Atlanta, Ga. (Mays)
- 24 Marcellas Dial DB 6-0 190 R-SO JC Woodruff, S.C. (Woodruff/Georgia Military)
- 4 Jaylin Dickerson DB 6-1 190 R-JR 2L Southern Pines, N.C. (Pinecrest)
- 4 Luke Doty QB 6-1 204 SO 1L Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Myrtle Beach)
- 71 Eric Douglas OL 6-4 315 R-SR 3L Charlotte, N.C. (Mallard Creek)
- 32 Bradley Dunn FB 5-9 215 R-FR SQ Columbia, S.C. (Hammond School)
- 45 Spencer Eason-Riddle LB 6-0 226 R-SR 3L Raleigh, N.C. (Leesville Road)
- 55 Gilber Edmond EDGE 6-5 230 R-FR SQ Fort Pierce, Fla. (Westwood)
- 29 Brandon Edwards WR 6-0 200 R-FR SQ Blythewood, S.C. (Blythewood)
- 99 Jabari Ellis DL 6-3 275 R-SR 2L Vance, S.C. (Lake Marion/Georgia Military)
- 52 Kingsley Enagbare EDGE 6-4 260 SR 3L Atlanta, Ga. (Hapeville Charter)
- 16 Rodricus Fitten EDGE 6-1 255 R-SO 1L Atlanta, Ga. (Booker T. Washington)
- 25 O’Donnell Fortune DB 6-1 180 R-FR SQ Sumter, S.C. (Sumter)
- 27 Jaylan Foster DB 5-10 190 R-SR 1L Duncan, S.C. (Byrnes/Gardner-Webb)
- 58 Mark Fox OL 6-4 310 R-SO SQ Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)
- 10 Colten Gauthier QB 6-3 210 FR HS Bethlehem, Ga. (Hebron Christian Academy)
- 23 Fabian Goodman DB 5-10 170 R-FR SQ Columbia, S.C. (Hammond School)
- 11 Jahkeem Green DL 6-3 315 R-SR TR Sumter, S.C. (Sumter/Nebraska)
- 44 Sherrod Greene LB 6-1 220 R-SR 3L Rocky Mount, N.C. (Rocky Mount)
- 26 Landon Grier DB 5-9 185 R-FR SQ Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
- 54 Jovaughn Gwyn OL 6-2 300 R-JR 2L Charlotte, N.C. (Harding University)
- 47 Cole Hanna K/P 5-7 185 R-JR SQ Norcross, Ga. (Norcross)
- 20 Kevin Harris RB 5-10 225 JR 2L Hinesville, Ga. (Bradwell Institute)
- 26 Nathan Harris-Waynick RB 5-10 210 FR HS Sumter, S.C. (Sumter)
- 91 Tonka Hemingway EDGE 6-3 270 SO 1L Conway, S.C. (Conway)
- 45 Alex Herrera PK 5-9 190 R-SO SQ Columbia, S.C. (Spring Valley)
- 18 Dominick Hill DB 6-0 200 SO 1L Orlando, Fla. (Jones)
- 12 Joey Hunter DB 6-0 200 SO 1L Atlanta, Ga. (Sandy Creek)
- 95 Alex Huntley DL 6-4 300 R-FR SQ Blythewood, S.C. (Hammond School)
- 13 E.J. Jenkins WR 6-7 242 R-SR TR Fredericksburg, Va. (Chancellor/St. Francis (Pa.))
- 98 Mitch Jeter PK 5-10 190 SO 1L Salisbury, N.C. (Cannon School)
- 19 Brad Johnson LB 6-2 235 R-SR 3L Pendleton, S.C. (Pendleton)
- 92 Tyreek Johnson EDGE 6-3 255 R-SO SQ Sumter, S.C. (Lakewood)
- 72 Trai Jones OL 6-2 310 R-FR SQ Abbeville, S.C. (Abbeville)
- 14 Connor Jordan QB 6-3 210 R-SO SQ Raleigh, N.C. (Millbrook)
- 5 Dakereon Joyner WR 6-1 205 R-JR 2L N. Charleston, S.C. (Fort Dorchester)
- 32 Mohamed Kaba LB 6-2 222 SO 1L Clinton, N.C. (Clinton)
- 12 Traevon Kenion TE 6-3 245 R-SO SQ Monroe, N.C. (Wake Forest)
- 39 Kai Kroeger P 6-3 200 SO 1L Lake Forest, Ill. (Lake Forest)
- 77 Vershon Lee OL 6-3 310 SO 1L Woodbridge, Va. (Freedom)
- 17 Xavier Legette WR 6-0 212 JR 2L Mullins, S.C. (Mullins)
- 1 MarShawn Lloyd RB 5-9 215 R-FR SQ Wilmington, Del. (DeMatha)
- 42 Rosendo Louis Jr. LB 6-2 240 R-JR 1L Deerfield Beach, Fla. (Deerfield Beach)
- 85 Payton Mangrum WR 5-11 195 R-FR SQ Greenville, S.C. (Eastside)
- 70 Hank Manos OL 6-4 305 R-JR SQ Chapin, S.C. (Chapin)
- 48 Sean McGonigal FB 6-1 235 R-SR SQ Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Myrtle Beach)
- 55 Jakai Moore OL 6-5 310 R-SO 1L Nokesville, Va. (Patriot)
- 80 Keveon Mullins TE 6-1 235 R-SO 1L Memphis, Tenn. (Whitehaven)
- 74 Vincent Murphy OL 6-2 305 R-SO SQ Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
- 9 Nick Muse TE 6-4 249 SR 2L Belmont, N.C. (South Point/William & Mary)
- 52 Jaylen Nichols OL 6-5 325 JR 2L Charlotte, N.C. (Myers Park)
- 6 Zacch Pickens DL 6-3 305 JR 2L Anderson, S.C. (T.L. Hanna)
- 84 Rico Powers WR 6-2 190 SO 1L Atlanta, Ga. (Hapeville Charter)
- 83 Patrick Reedy TE 6-7 265 R-JR SQ Columbia, S.C. (Cardinal Newman)
- 3 Sam Reynolds WR 5-8 180 FR HS Alabaster, Ala. (Thompson)
- 76 Jordan Rhodes OL 6-4 340 R-SR 2L Fairburn, Ga. (Creekside)
- 10 R.J. Roderick DB 6-0 205 SR 3L Summerville, S.C. (Cane Bay)
- 78 Hunter Rogers DS 6-1 200 R-FR SQ Columbia, S.C. (Spring Valley)
- 57 Will Rogers OL 6-3 300 R-SO SQ Hampton, Ga. (Lovejoy)
- 19 Ben Rollins WR 5-8 165 R-FR SQ Inman, S.C. (Chapman)
- 28 Darius Rush DB 6-2 195 R-JR 2L Kingstree, S.C. (C.E. Murray)
- 90 Jesse Sanders FB 6-3 240 R-FR SQ Aiken, S.C. (South Aiken)
- 90 Rick Sandidge DL 6-5 310 SR 3L Concord, N.C. (Concord)
- 35 Eric Shaw TE 6-4 215 SO 1L Reeltown, Ala. (Reeltown)
- 9 Cam Smith DB 6-0 187 R-SO 1L Blythewood, S.C. (Westwood)
- 18 OrTre Smith WR 6-4 227 R-SR 2L Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Wando)
- 29 David Spaulding DB 6-1 190 R-SO TR Riceboro, Ga. (Bradwell Institute/Georgia Southern)
- 22 Bruce Staley RB 5-9 210 R-FR SQ West Columbia, S.C. (Airport)
- 30 Damani Staley LB 6-0 246 SR 4L Columbia, S.C. (Ridge View)
- 15 Aaron Sterling EDGE 6-1 240 SR 4L Atlanta, Ga. (Tucker)
- 7 Jordan Strachan EDGE 6-4 220 R-JR TR Kingsland, Ga. (Camden County/Georgia State)
- 65 Chuck Strickland OL 6-1 265 R-FR SQ Spartanburg, S.C. (Byrnes)
- 86 Chad Terrell WR 6-3 212 R-SR 2L Bogue Chitto, Miss. (North Paulding)
- 75 Jazston Turnetine OL 6-7 340 SR 1L Ellenwood, Ga. (Stockbridge/Hutchinson CC)
- 6 Josh Vann WR 5-10 195 SR 3L Tucker, Ga. (Tucker)
- 62 Tyshawn Wannamaker OL 6-3 335 R-FR SQ St. Matthews, S.C. (Calhoun County)
- 41 Darryle Ware LB 6-1 225 R-FR SQ Charleston, S.C. (Fort Dorchester)
- 94 M.J. Webb DL 6-3 305 R-SR 2L Rutledge, Ga. (Morgan County)
- 43 Parker White PK 6-5 205 R-SR 4L Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Wando)
- 11 ZaQuandre White RB 6-0 210 R-SR 1L Cape Coral, Fla. (North Fort Myers/Iowa Western C.C.)
- 5 Darryl Williams LB 6-1 230 R-FR TR Smyrna, Del. (Smyrna/Delaware)
- 79 Dylan Wonnum OL 6-5 305 SR 3L Tucker, Ga. (Tucker)
- 87 Mike Wyman WR 6-2 200 R-FR SQ Greensboro, N.C. (Dudley)
So does anybody know how scholarship numbers are supposed to work next year? I wasn’t sure about a few of the seniors coming back, because I hadn’t seen any announcement either way from them. I knew Jabari Ellis, Nick Muse, and Parker White were coming back, but now I see there are 5 more. So that puts us 1 scholarship over, if I’m not mistaken, and we’re still looking to add more players. So are all the seniors that are returning not going to count towards the 85 scholarship limit??? I saw a long time ago that was a possibility, but has the NCAA declared that now???
That’s right, the so-called super seniors won’t count against the 85 total in 2021.
Oh nice! No worries on the delay, thanks for the info!
Also, shouldn’t Jaylin Dickerson be a RS-Senior? They made that mistake with Jaylan Foster last year…they had him listed as a RS-Junior for the 2nd year in a row for most of the season, but eventually corrected it.
Sorry for the delay. Dickerson was granted a sixth year of eligibility due to his injury issues prior to the 2020 season, thus he had three years left going into 2020. That leaves him two seasons now, unless he chooses to use the free year the NCAA gave all 2020 players, that would give him three seasons.
C’mon Kornblut, aren’t you the man that’s supposed to know these sorts of things? I need answers please.