Gamecocks in the NFL: Week 8 recap

The South Carolina football team is about to head into its regular-season home stretch after taking its second bye week of 2024 season.

While the current Gamecocks took a week-long break from regular season action, alumni of the South Carolina football program participated across the NFL’s 17 games. One of these contests, between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers, featured two touchdowns scored by players who once donned the garnet and black on Saturdays.

Here’s how former Gamecocks fared for their respective professional teams this past week.

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AFC East

Cam Smith – Cornerback, Miami Dolphins
After being elevated to the Dolphins’ active roster on Oct. 21, Smith saw his first action of the 2024 campaign in the team’s 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He recorded four tackles, including three solo stops, across 35 defensive snaps.

Marcellas Dial Jr. – Cornerback, New England Patriots
Dial Jr. played exclusively on special teams in the Patriots’ 25-22 win over the New York Jets. For the fifth consecutive week, he tied for the team lead in special teams snaps (23).

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 8 victory.

Javon Kinlaw – Defensive tackle, New York Jets
Kinlaw made two tackles (including one solo stop) and registered 0.5 sacks in the Jets’ 25-22 defeat to the Patriots. In the process, he continued a streak of logging at least one solo tackle in each of the eight games he has played in this season. Kinlaw played 42 total snaps in the loss – 39 on defense, and three on special teams.

AFC South

Chris Lammons – Defensive back, Indianapolis Colts
Lammons did not practice on Wednesday due to an ankle injury, but he was a full participant on Thursday and Friday this past week, which resulted in him not carrying an injury designation into the Colts’ Week 8 contest against the Houston Texans. He played 15 special teams snaps in the team’s 23-20 loss.

AFC West

Nate Adkins – Tight end, Denver Broncos
Adkins reaped the rewards of seeing increased playing time on offense by scoring his first professional touchdown in the Broncos’ 28-14 win over the Panthers. His initial NFL score came on a three-yard pass from Bo Nix early in the second quarter. Although that was Adkins’ lone reception on the day, he played 49 total snaps (35 on offense and 14 on special teams) in the contest.

Nick Gargiulo – Guard, Denver Broncos
Gargiulo is currently a member of the Broncos’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s Week 8 victory.

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Darius Rush – Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs
Rush is currently a member of the Chiefs’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s 27-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Hayden Hurst – Tight end, Los Angeles Chargers
Hurst did not practice on Wednesday but was a limited participant on Thursday or Friday this past week due to a groin injury. He carried a “questionable” tag into the Chargers’ Week 8 contest against the New Orleans Saints but did not feature in the 26-8 victory. Sunday marked Hurst’s second straight missed contest.

NFC East

Rico Dowdle – Running back, Dallas Cowboys
Dowdle did not carry an injury designation into the Cowboys’ Sunday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers, but he was a late scratch hours before kickoff due to an illness. In his absence, the team suffered a 30-24 defeat on Sunday Night Football.

Israel Mukuamu – Safety, Dallas Cowboys
Mukuamu recorded one assisted tackle in the Cowboys’ Week 8 loss. He played 15 snaps on defense and 22 more on special teams in the contest.

Jalen Brooks – Wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Brooks did not record any statistics, outside of one target that resulted in an incomplete pass, during Week 8. But he did play 53 total snaps – 41 on offense and 12 on special teams.

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 26-18 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.

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NFC North

Zacch Pickens – Defensive tackle, Chicago Bears
Pickens was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and a full participant on both Thursday and Friday this past week, allowing him to have no injury designation ahead of the Bears’ Week 8 game against the Washington Commanders. Despite being active, he did not play any snaps in the team’s 18-15 loss.

Kingsley Enagbare – Defensive end, Green Bay Packers
Enagbare recorded two assisted tackles in the Packers’ 30-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He logged these statistics over 24 snaps on defense and 15 more on special teams.

Keisean Nixon – Defensive back, Green Bay Packers
Nixon made four tackles (including two solo stops) in the Packers’ Week 8 victory. He appeared on 56 of the team’s 57 defensive snaps and played an additional 12 on special teams in the contest.

Stephon Gilmore – Cornerback, Minnesota Vikings
Gilmore logged a five-tackle, four-solo stop performance (in addition to defending one pass) in the team’s 30-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. He played 66 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 8 loss.

NFC South

Jovaughn Gwyn – Guard, Atlanta Falcons
Gwyn played two special teams snaps – his first action of the 2024 regular season – in the Falcons’ 31-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jadeveon Clowney – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
Clowney was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this past week due to a shoulder injury, but he still carried “questionable” tag heading into the Panthers’ Week 8 contest against the Broncos. He returned to action for the first time in two weeks, logging a season-high seven tackles and four solo stops across 65 defensive plays in the team’s 28-14 defeat.

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Jaycee Horn – Cornerback, Carolina Panthers
Horn made two total tackles, including one solo stop, and defended two passes in the Panthers’ Week 8 loss. He appeared on 73 of the team’s 74 defensive plays.

Xavier Legette – Wide receiver, Carolina Panthers
Legette’s logged one of the best individual performances of his young career during Week 8. He was targeted a team-high seven times in the contest, which resulted in four catches for 34 yards. One of those receptions, which resulted in a six-yard gain and a touchdown, gave the Panthers an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Legette was also credited with one rushing attempt for zero yards.

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. Wonnum’s recovery was recently chronicled by The Charlotte Observer’s Alex Zietlow in an article published on Oct. 25.

Spencer Rattler – Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
The Saints’ offense struggled as a whole in its 26-8 defeat to the Chargers, but Rattler was not solely to blame. He completed 50% of his passes (12-24) and totaled 156 passing yards, but he did not register an interception or touchdown. Towards through the third quarter, however, Rattler was benched for third-string quarterback Jake Haener, a former Fresno State signal caller. With Week 1 starter Derek Carr’s return from injury on the horizon, both quarterbacks could be relegated to backup duties, though.

Adam Prentice – Running back, New Orleans Saints
Prentice did not record any statistics during the Saints’ Week 8 loss. He did, however, play 16 combined snaps on offense and special teams in the contest.

NFC West

Deebo Samuel Sr. – Wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers
Just one week after having a brief hospital stay due to pneumonia, Samuel Sr. returned to the field in the 49ers’ 30-24 victory over the Cowboys. He finished the contest tied for the team lead in targets (seven). Four of those targets resulted in completed passes for 71 total yards. Samuel Sr. also logged four rushing attempts for 15 yards. But he was forced to leave the game due to a rib injury. Head coach Mike Shanahan said Samuel Sr. is considered “day to day” for the time being and will be re-evaluated during the team’s bye week.

Ernest Jones – Linebacker, Seattle Seahawks
Jones made an immediate impact for the Seahawks’ defense in his first game with the team. He logged a season-high 15 tackles, including seven solo stops, in the team’s 31-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.

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