South Carolina Gamecocks True Freshman Looking to Make an Impact in Year One

South Carolina Gamecocks true freshman Josiah Thompson is looking to make an impact in year one.

South Carolina Gamecocks true freshman Josiah Thompson is looking to make an impact in year one.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to have an improved 2024 season after failing to make a bowl game last season, and in order to accomplish that, they are going to need to rely on some new and younger faces. One of those faces is Josiah Thompson at tackle as he is in the midst of a battle for one of the starting jobs, and one major news outlet believe he could very will win that battle.

ESPN released their preseason true freshman All-American team ahead of the 2024 season and Thompson made the cut. He was the only Gamecock to make the list and he could be a key piece to South Carolina getting better than they were a season ago upfront on the offensive side of the ball. Here is what ESPN had to say about Thompson:

"Thompson is the highest-ranked offensive lineman South Carolina has ever signed. He is currently battling sophomore tackle Tree Babalade, redshirt sophomore Cason Henry and fellow freshman Kam Pringle. Thompson is massive and could play on either side at tackle or initially at guard. Babalade started as a freshman at left tackle last year, so some reshuffling could be in the mix."

Coming out of high school, Thompson was rated a five-star, the 35th-best player in the country, the third-best tackle in the country and the number one player in the state of South Carolina, according to 247 sports composite rankings. It's not often that freshman find the field and starting role in their first year as a collegiate athlete, especially in the SEC, but a player of Thompson's caliber could certainly make that happen for himself.

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