Young Linebackers Impressing Coaches

The South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker unit has dealt with some injuries so far this season, but in the last two weeks, Shane Beamer sees progression from the top down at the position group.

When South Carolina lost Mohamed Kaba against the Arkansas Razorbacks in week two, many questions surrounded the linebacker corps. For veteran linebacker Sherrod Greene, the question was whether he could return to form despite injuries cutting his last two seasons far below the finish line.

The younger linebackers in the program, namely Debo Williams, Stone Blanton, and Bam Martin-Scott, needed to prove they could play SEC football daily. Based on what Shane Beamer said at his weekly Sunday teleconference call when asked for his thoughts on the unit's performance since Kaba's absence, he believes the entire unit has answered the bell.

"They've done a good job. I mean, losing Mo [Kaba] was obviously a huge loss for us, there's no question about it from a talent standpoint on the field, from a leadership standpoint with what Mo was doing, I mean, I know Brad [Johnson] and Sherrod [Greene] are kinda the older guys, but Mo was somewhat the alpha of that group, and that was a big loss for us, and Brad and Sherrod have now stepped up because of it," Beamer answered. "I like the way that Debo [Williams] has played when he's come in there, and Bam [Martin-Scott] is continuing to get better, and Stone Blanton is continuing to get better, so I really like those guys."

Coach Beamer especially commended the younger guys in the linebacker group, whom he says have pushed the older guys to continue to sharpen the tools in their toolbox.

"Those young guys bring size and physicality to the group that we need, and they're making Brad and Sherrod better cause Brad and Sherrod aren't able to sit there and just get complacent. I mean, these young guys are coming along and pushing them, and we need to continue to get Bam and Stone and Debo in there, and [I'm] excited about Donovan Westmoreland, another young player. So I just see a group that continues to improve. Stone's been banged up a little bit the last couple of weeks, so being able to get him healthy will continue to help that linebacker group."

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