LSU Football vs. South Carolina: Three Gamecocks to Know in Week 3 Matchup

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers face a rowdy South Carolina squad, looking to shutdown trio of playmakers.

Sep 7, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) hands the ball off to South Carolina Gamecocks running back Raheim Sanders (5) during the first quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will hop on a flight to Columbia in roughly 24 hours to take on a fiery South Carolina squad in a highly anticipated Week 3 matchup.

With ESPN's College GameDay in attendance, all eyes will be on the Bayou Bengals against an SEC foe coming off of a critical win over Kentucky on Saturday.

For the Gamecocks, their bread and butter is on the defensive line headlined by true freshman Dylan Stewart. A group that leads the conference in sacks through two weeks, South Carolina will have have LSU's offensive line put to the test.

Who else must the Tigers keep tabs on?

Three Gamecocks to Know:

Dylan Stewart: EDGE

South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart will be a key piece to the Gamecocks' game plan on Saturday in Columbia with the true freshman wreaking havoc through two games of his first season.

Stewart, a 6-foot-6, 248-pounder who's quickly cemented his status as a Freshman All-American, has the nation's attention in only two games played.

"The defensive end, Stewart, is a pure pass rusher," Brian Kelly said Monday. "It doesn't mean he can't defend the run, I'm not saying that. He's a guy that they want in there to get after the quarterback. We're gonna have to do a really good job, we're gonna have to be disciplined in our drops. We're gonna have to get the ball out on time, because those edge guys can certainly — this is an SEC defensive front. They can get to the quarterback and particularly he can."

He's already up to two and a half sacks on the season with six tackles and two forced fumbles.

Heading into Week 3, Stewart will be the player to keep tabs on when it comes to South Carolina's defensive front. He's a menace that LSU offensive tackle Emery Jones will be facing.

Dylan Stewart is the FREAKIEST freshman of all-time 😳

Doing this at 18 years old is CRAZY. pic.twitter.com/LBBVBWJTA1

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 6, 2024

LaNorris Sellers: Quarterback

South Carolina signal-caller LaNorris Sellers is a unique SEC quarterback this season. He lacks experience, but the ceiling is sky high. Sellers attains a rocket of an arm with a dual-threat ability that keeps defenses on their toes.

In Week 3, the LSU defense will be put to the test when it comes to the running ability of Sellers. He can keep plays alive with his legs and is strong enough to plow through defenders.

"Well, (LaNorris) Sellers the quarterback is a physical presence and a lot like (Anthony) Richardson, the quarterback that played at Florida — big, physical, strong. Got a cannon for an arm. The kid can throw it 65, 70 yards. He just kind of reminds me of that physical presence," Kelly said. "But he's a new starter. But you're gonna have to do some really good things to defend the quarterback and the quarterback run game. Because they've got the transfer from Auburn (Robby Ashford) as well. So, that's going to be important for us. That's going to give us a great understanding after playing Nicholls of the quarterback run game.

Nick Emmanwori: Defensive Back

South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori is a player that has Brian Kelly and the LSU coaching staff's attention. He's a player who can cover ground in the blink of an eye and plays the tackling lanes well.

He's up to 12 tackles on the season and is a player who remains on the field at all times for the Gamecocks.

Facing a relatively inexperienced signal-caller in Garrett Nussmeier, it'll be key to keep tabs on Emmanwori at all times given he plays the ball well downfield. With an interception on the year already, LSU must make sure he doesn't add a second one in Week 3.

"Really love (Nick) Emmanwori, the defensive back, No. 7. Very active. He was a freshman All-American in 2022. Just a really good defense, and they ran both three-down and four-down and made it really difficult for Kentucky last week," Kelly said. "And then, very innovative and do a lot of things in the special teams game.

More LSU News:

Instant Takeaways: LSU Takes Down Nicholls State 44-21 in Week 2

Five-Star LSU Commit DJ Pickett Visits ACC Program in Week 2

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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