Examining Tonka Hemingway's Start To The 2023 Season

Tonka Hemingway was a breakout player for South Carolina's Football team in 2022. How has he performed so far in 2023?

Coming into this season, Tonka Hemingway was one of a few South Carolina Football players that the program expected to take another step forward. Forced to play significant snaps last season due to how often Alex 'Boogie' Huntley was battling injuries, the South Carolina native broke out in his junior season, recording 33 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Through the first five games of the 2023 season, Hemingway has racked up 15 total tackles, just one tackle for loss, and no sacks.

The lack of disruptive plays by the preseason All-SEC selection has been noticeable, and it reached a point where fellow teammate TJ Sanders, who's played well so far this season, began taking the first defensive snaps at the 3-technique instead of Hemingway. So, what exactly has led to this slow start from Tonka Hemingway? Are there signs that he could turn things around in the second half of the season?

Let's start by trying to answer the first question, and the first thing we must acknowledge is that there's no way to tell what combination of factors has led to Tonka's slow start. These guys deal with many things that we don't always see, including things going on back at home, a college fling falling apart, or an injury that hasn't been disclosed, all of which can negatively impact the psyché of a student-athlete. We must recognize those possibilities and refrain from speculating beyond this point.

There was also a significant change in Tonka's football career, as Travian Robertson became his position coach in the Spring. The offseason feedback regarding the move was extremely positive, and while Hemingway has been trying to find his stride, guys like Sanders and Huntley seem to have already benefitted from T-Rob's tutelage. We should also recall that Tonka had Zacch Pickens playing alongside him last year, a dominant interior player who brought a lot of attention his way and is now playing for the Chicago Bears because of his talents.

With all of this being said, there are subtle signs that the 2022 version of Tonka Hemingway is reemerging, as the senior has led the interior defensive line over the past two weeks in total tackles with 9. There's no questioning this: if Clayton White's defense is going to make the necessary improvements they need to make over the next eight weeks, Tonka will have to help lead the charge in that regard.

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