Gamecocks in the NFL: Week 7 recap

South Carolina saw its defense lead the team to a 35-9 win over Oklahoma this past weekend. While this success may not have translated directly to former Gamecocks’ performances in the NFL, more than two dozen players were still present on active or practice squad rosters during the league’s Week 7 action.

Here’s how former South Carolina players fared for their respective professional teams this past week.

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AFC East

Ahmarean Brown – Wide receiver, Buffalo Bills
Brown was released from the Bills’ practice squad on Oct. 17, three days before the the team’s 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans; former Arizona kicker Lucas Havrisik was signed in a subsequent move. Brown had been a part of the Bills organization for just over one month before being cut.

Cam Smith – Cornerback, Miami Dolphins
Smith did not record any statistics or play any snaps in the Dolphins’ 16-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. After spending much of the 2024 season on short-term injury reserve, Smith regained a spot on the team’s active roster on Oct. 21, indicating he could return to the field soon.

Marcellas Dial Jr. – Cornerback, New England Patriots
Dial Jr. played exclusively on special teams in the Patriots’ 32-16 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London. For the fourth consecutive week, he tied for the team lead in special teams snaps (20).

Kevin Harris – Running back, New England Patriots
Harris is currently a member of the Patriots’ practice squad and did not make an appearance in the Patriots’ Week 7 loss.

Javon Kinlaw – Defensive tackle, New York Jets
Kinlaw had his most productive game of the 2024 campaign, from a statistical standpoint, in the Jets’ 37-15 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. He recorded a season-high six total tackles, including five solo stops, in the contest. In the process, Kinlaw continued a streak of logging at least one solo tackle in each of the seven games he has played in this season.

AFC South

Chris Lammons – Defensive back, Indianapolis Colts
Lammons did not feature in the Colts’ 16-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins. He did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this past week due to an ankle injury.

Ernest Jones – Linebacker, Tennessee Titans
Jones served as workhorse behind the line of scrimmage in the Titans’ 34-10 loss to the Bills. He tied for the team lead in tackles (five), four of which were solo stops, in addition to defending one pass.

*Note: This performance was Jones’ last in a Titans uniform. Per a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jones has been traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick. Jones was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Titans earlier this season.

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AFC West

Nate Adkins – Tight end, Denver Broncos
Adkins’ streak of catching at least one pass, which reached four games, ended this past week in the Broncos’ 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. Despite this, he played 17 snaps on offense and 18 more on special teams.

Nick Gargiulo – Guard, Denver Broncos
Gargiulo is currently a member of the Broncos’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s Week 7 victory.

Darius Rush – Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs
Rush is currently a member of the Chiefs’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s 28-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Hayden Hurst – Tight end, Los Angeles Chargers
Hurst did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this past week due to a groin injury. He carried a “doubtful” tag heading into the Chargers’ Monday Night Football contest against the Arizona Cardinals but did not feature in the 17-15 defeat.

NFC East

Rico Dowdle – Running back, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were on bye during Week 7, so Dowdle did not play this past week.

Israel Mukuamu – Safety, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were on bye during Week 7, so Mukuamu did not play this past week.

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Jalen Brooks – Wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys were on bye during Week 7, so Brooks did not play this past week.

Dante Miller – Running back, New York Giants
Miller is currently a member of the Giants’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s 28-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

NFC North

Zacch Pickens – Defensive tackle, Chicago Bears
The Bears were on bye during Week 7, so Pickens did not play this past week. He has missed five of the team’s six games this season due to injury.

Kingsley Enagbare – Defensive end, Green Bay Packers
Enagbare tied a season high with four tackles (two of which were solo stops) in the Packers’ 24-22 win over the Houston Texans. He logged these statistics over 35 snaps on defense and 15 more on special teams.

Keisean Nixon – Defensive back, Green Bay Packers
Nixon defended one pass and made three tackles (including one solo stop) in the Packers’ Week 7 victory. He appeared on all 63 of the team’s defensive snaps and played an additional 13 on special teams in the contest.

Stephon Gilmore – Cornerback, Minnesota Vikings
Gilmore came back from the Vikings’ bye week with a four-tackle, three-solo stop performance in the team’s 31-29 defeat to the Detroit Lions. He played 47 defensive snaps in the contest.

Nick Muse – Tight end, Minnesota Vikings
Muse has been on the Vikings’ injury reserve since Sept. 18 due to a minor fracture in his hand. Because of this, he did not feature in the team’s Week 7 loss.

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NFC South

Jovaughn Gwyn – Guard, Atlanta Falcons
Gwyn did not record any statistics or play any snaps in the Falcons’ 34-14 defeat to the Seahawks.

Jadeveon Clowney – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
Clowney did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this past week due to a shoulder injury. He carried a “doubtful” tag heading into the Panthers’ Week 7 contest against the Washington Commanders but did not feature in the 40-7 loss. Sunday marked the second straight week Clowney has missed a game due to injury.

Jaycee Horn – Cornerback, Carolina Panthers
Horn made five total tackles, including four solo stops, and defended one pass in the Panthers’ Week 7 defeat. He appeared on 60 of the team’s 69 defensive plays.

Xavier Legette – Wide receiver, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers’ offense could not get going against the Commanders’ defense, which limited Legette’s ability to contribute during Week 7. He was targeted just three times in the contest, with two of those targets resulting in completed passes for three combined yards. Legette also gained six yards on one rushing attempt.

D.J. Wonnum – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
Wonnum is still recovering from offseason quadriceps surgery and remained on the physically unable to perform list, which he has been on for the entire season.

Spencer Rattler – Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
Rattler followed up his professional debut with a far-from-ideal encore in the Saints’ 33-10 loss to the Broncos. He was a particularly efficient passer on Thursday night, completing 25 of his 35 passes (71.4%) for 172 yards. But he also lost two fumbles and was forced to exit the game in the fourth quarter due to a hip pointer. The injury is not expected to keep Rattler out for long, though. According to Ross Jackson from LouisianaSports.net, Rattler is set to start again on Sunday should Derek Carr not be ready to return.

Adam Prentice – Running back, New Orleans Saints
Prentice did not record any statistics during the Saints’ Week 7 loss. He did, however, play 26 combined snaps on offense and special teams in the contest.

NFC West

Deebo Samuel Sr. – Wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel Sr. did not record any statistics in the 49ers’ 28-18 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. He played just four snaps before leaving the game due to an illness. It was later revealed that Samuel Sr. was admitted to a hospital with fluid in his lungs, as he suffered from a “pneumonia-like” illness. A team source confirmed to Matt Barrows of The Athletic that Samuel Sr. was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.

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