Alex Huntley explains why he decided to stay at South Carolina

Alex Huntley would have had plenty of options had he entered the transfer portal, but instead he decided to return for a fifth season at South Carolina. The defensive lineman opened up on why at SEC Media Days on Monday, citing his ties to the city of Columbia.

Although Huntley was born in Maryland, he later moved to Columbia and attended Hammond School. He chose to stay home and play for the Gamecocks despite boasting offers from programs such as Georgia, LSU and Texas.

The same reason he decided to originally come to South Carolina is also why he intends to finish out his college career at the school.

“Being from Columbia, I think the people, the place, I love it,” he said. “I originally am from Maryland. When I moved to Columbia, they adopted me with open arms. It’s kind of hard to leave a place that has everything you need and great people behind it. And that’s just all saying it about my teammates, those are my brothers. I will have a bond with them forever. So I didn’t want to leave them.”

A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Huntley has developed into a dependable player for the Gamecocks. He earned SEC All-Freshman honors from the league’s coaches in 2021 after recording 11 tackles, a sign of his potential.

Huntley only continued to develop from there and was named a team captain for South Carolina ahead of this past season. He went on to appear in 12 games with 11 starts to record 33 tackles (four for loss) and two sacks.

The 6-foot-4 defensive tackle had his best game of the season against Mississippi State last year where he recorded both of his sacks, two pass break ups, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick. He was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week as a result.

Huntley should continue to play a key role on the defensive line this season for South Carolina. He is one of eight returning starters for a Gamecocks defense was rather middle-of-the-pack this past year.

South Carolina is coming off of its first losing season since Shane Beamer took over in 2021 and hungry to bounce back. If it does, Huntley and other experienced players will surely be a big part in the success.

The Gamecocks kick off the 2024 season on Aug. 31 with a matchup against Old Dominion.