Gamecock Digest

Bryan Thomas's Chance To Shine

The true freshman defensive lineman Bryan Thomas has a tremendous challenge and subsequent opportunity on Friday afternoon for South Carolina.

Andrew Lyon

Bryan Thomas's Chance To Shine
Bryan Thomas's Chance To Shine /

When edge rusher Bryan Thomas Jr. came to South Carolina in the summer, he probably wasn't expecting to start for the Gamecocks due to the number of experienced veterans in front of him who had proven themselves against Power 5 competition. 

However, that's precisely the situation he now finds himself in. Jordan Strachan's early season-ending ACL tear and Gilber Edmond's portal entry have Thomas slated to play most of the snaps at edge.

It's certainly a set of circumstances that defensive coordinator Clayton White and the staff would've liked to avoid. Nonetheless, they'll now need to adequately prepare the Florida native for the challenges that await him.

Notre Dame has one name that's undoubtedly not been mentioned enough in terms of the Fighting Irish's offense, and that's left tackle Joe Alt. The Minnesota native wasn't just Notre Dame's best offensive lineman but one of the best offensive linemen in the country. He was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press and graded out as the top tackle in college football.

While Alt's skill will certainly present potential issues for Thomas, his 6-8 and 317 lbs. frame poses a different set of problems. White noted last week that Notre Dame will likely try to establish a strong run game and could opt to do it through Alt.

 “They’re going to have the protoypical size across the front at every position, comes from the way they recruit… So we expect them to try to pound it, run it, play-action and do what they do. They’re not going change their entire identity because of us.”

The Fighting Irish could frequently elect to keep the ball in the hands of their running backs due to tight end Michael Mayer opting out and likely starting quarterback Tyler Buchner having not taken a live snap since early September.

While dealing with all of these factors may sound like a daunting task, Thomas will have a chance to show the coaching staff that he can handle the rigors of playing a complete 60-minute ball game against a formidable opponent like the Fighting Irish. If able to do so, he would assist the other box defenders and propel himself into the spring with a chance to play an even more prominent role in 2023.

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Andrew Lyon
ANDREW LYON

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