Vanderbilt Top Defensive Stars to Watch Against South Carolina Gamecocks
The Vanderbilt Commodores will look to win their first season since 2013 this weekend by defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Commodores (6-3, 4-3 in SEC) are coming off a vital win against the Auburn Tigers, which helped the program clinch its first bowl-eligible season since 2018. They must now look for their defense to limit another team that is coming off a big victory just a week prior.
The Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3) are coming off a strong victory over the tenth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Commodores coach Clark Lea stated earlier this week that South Carolina is “as good on defense as we’ve seen.”
Led by head coach Shane Beamer, South Carolina is limiting teams to 18.9 points per game this season, good enough for the 20th best in the nation. A win would move them back into the polls, as they were just a few spots away in the latest AP Top 25.
Here are the defensive players to watch for both teams entering Saturday’s game.
Vanderbilt
Khordae Sydnor
The senior defensive lineman from Harlem, New York, has performed exceptionally well over the past few weeks for the Commodores. Sydnor has picked up a sack in three of his last five games, including one last week against the Tigers. As the Commodores will be looking for ways to stop their dual-threat quarterback, the interior defensive line must force pressure on Saturday.
Randon Fontenette
The sophomore linebacker from Freeport, Texas, had another great game last week against Auburn. Although he only recorded three tackles on the day, 2.5 of those were for a loss. He also picked up a pass deflection against their SEC rival. He was a huge factor in helping the Dores limit the Tigers to seven points in the contest.
Bryan Longwell
The program's leading tackler must be busy yet again this Saturday as they will have their hands full securing their key offensive stars. The sophomore linebacker from Nashville now has 60 tackles on the season. He will need a big performance like the one he had two weeks ago against the Texas Longhorns when he picked up 11 total tackles in the game. , it will be crucial to make first-contact tackles before the Gamecocks offensive weapons can burst into the open field.
South Carolina
Dylan Stewart
Dylan Stewart is one of the most exciting freshmen in all of college football. He has started his career strong with the Gamecocks as the first-year edge rusher is on pace to break the freshman sack record in the program, held by NFL pro and former first-overall pick Jadevon Clowney. He currently has 5.5 sacks on the season and, just last week alone was credited with nine pressures against the Texas A&M Aggies. He will be a challenge for the Commodores offensive line. Shutting him down will be crucial if the Vanderbilt offense intends to move the football.
Kyle Kennard
The Gamecocks completely revamped their pass rushing this past offseason, both in recruiting and the portal. Former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets edge Kyle Kennard has truly changed the way the team plays defense and has made the program a premier defensive unit. The senior leads the team with 8.5 sacks, including five over his last five games. Between him and Stewart, the Commodores offensive line will most certainly have their hands full.
Nick Emmanwori
Although Vanderbilt has done a great job over the past few weeks limiting the turnovers, they will be up against a premier defense that forces a ton of pressure that usually helps them capitalize on mistakes. If they do happen, assume Emmanwori is on the other end of them. The junior defensive back already has four interceptions on the season, including two of them going for scores. As mentioned in our keys to victory for the Commodores, winning the turnover margin is a must this weekend. It won’t be easy with ball hawks like the Irmo, South Carolina native patrolling the secondary.
