Updated roster, newcomer numbers, notes from South Carolina media guide

SEC Media Days 2023 has arrived which means the ultimate week of “talking season” is upon us. Which also means it’s media guide season and with that comes roster updates, newcomer jersey numbers, and more.

The South Carolina football team revealed the jersey numbers of its summer newcomers Sunday as the SEC released the media guides for all 14 teams.

Below are those numbers as well as the additional walk-ons who were added to the roster and their numbers, and some other offseason notes.

South Carolina newcomer jersey numbers

WR Nyck Harbor – 8
EDGE Jatius Geer – 12
WR Elijah Caldwell -14
DB Vicari Swain – 16
WR Tyshawn Russell – 21
RB Djay Braswell – 23
DB Zahbari Sandy – 25
TE Kamron Sandlin – 33
OL Jatavius Shivers – 50
OL Tree Babalade – 51
OL Trovon Baugh – 78
WR Kelton Henderson – 83
WR CJ Adams – 85

South Carolina walk-on additions

Jamian Risher Jr. – 34
P/K Peyton Argent – 48
LS Jordan Franke – 49
OL Ni Mansell – 61
OL Campbell Vandiver – 68
OL Jaxon Hughes – 79

Additional media guide notes

— Former Arkansas head strength coach Jamil Walker appeared to be in the running for South Carolina’s strength coach opening before Shane Beamer hired Luke Day. Now, Walker has joined the staff under Day, according to the guide.

Here is Walker’s bio from South Carolina:

Jamil Walker joined the Carolina strength staff in June of 2023 after a three-year stint as the Director of Strength & Conditioning for Arkansas Football. Walker joined the Razorbacks from Georgia, where he was the associate strength and conditioning coach for the Bulldogs for three years. Prior to Georgia, he was an assistant strength coach at Wisconsin. The former Badger remained at his alma mater as an intern in the strength and conditioning program in 2008 and became an assistant during the spring of 2009. Walker graduated from UW with a bachelor’s degree in 2008. At the time of his graduation, Walker was part of the winningest senior class in Wisconsin history, going 40-11 over his four-year playing career. Walker is originally from Rolling Meadows, Ill. and has a son, Julian. He is certified through the CSCCA and USAW.

— South Carolina has added former Catholic University defensive coordinator Kevin Hubbard as a defensive analyst.

Here is Hubbard’s bio from the guide:

Kevin Hubbard joined the Gamecocks’ staff as an analyst for the defense in the summer of 2023. He spent the last four seasons at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., including the last three as the team’s assistant head coach/defensive coordinator after working with the team’s inside linebackers. In June 2019, Hubbard was invited to attend a mandatory minicamp with the Washington Football Team as part of the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He was one of the eight selections from a field of more than 130 candidates. During his five days with the three-time Super Bowl champions, Hubbard worked under inside linebackers coach Rob Ryan and attended all meetings while participating on the field during practices. Hubbard joined the Cardinals after spending one season as the linebackers coach at Division II Black Hills State in South Dakota in 2018. Prior to Black Hills State, Hubbard was the head football coach at New Smyrna Beach High School in Florida from 2015-17. Hubbard also spent one season as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at New Smyrna Beach in 2011 before spending three years as the athletic director, assistant football coach, and head wrestling coach at Pageland Central High School in South Carolina. Hubbard was a defensive G.A. at FCS Jacksonville University in 2009 and 2010. The Dolphins went 10-1 and won a share of the PFL championship in 2010. In 2008, he spent one season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Edward Waters College, who were champions of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).

— Former South Carolina freshman EDGE Monteque Rhames was not listed on the spring roster and is not listed on the fall roster either. On the list of South Carolina’s signing class, Rhames is noted as “no longer on squad.”

— Running back Dante Miller, who was applying for an additional year of eligibility, is not on the South Carolina roster.

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!