Jakai Moore eager to help South Carolina up front wherever needed
Jakai Moore was thrown into the fire as a redshirt freshman at South Carolina in a lot of ways.
He played in eight games with six starts, including four starts to end the year at left tackle. In those moments, he relied on veterans like Eric Douglas and Jovaughn Gwyn.
Now, as Moore looks around the room, he’s the old head and the one South Carolina is going to expect to not only lead but also play well.
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“I miss my boys,” Moore said, laughing. “Shoot, but they taught me how to hold my own. I learned so much from those boys.”
Moore is now entering his redshirt senior season as a leader on this line and someone the Gamecocks need to play well. He’s the odds-on favorite right now to start at the left tackle position with Jaylen Nichols’ injury, and someone who has to continue to improve.
The 6-foot-6, 318-pounder settled in at left guard at the tail end of his junior season, but will likely have to bounce outside again.
“Just the players you’re going against. Playing guard, you’re going against big fellas. So you have to get your hands on them quicker,” Moore said. “Playing tackle, being versatile and being able to move your feet. Then getting their hands on them first, too.”
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Over his career, Moore started 14 games: 12 at left tackle, four at right tackle while three came at left guard. The former high school basketball player has the length and athleticism to play on the ends of the line.
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And the Gamecocks are going to likely ask him to play out there.
“Jakai has length and size. That’s always good. That’s good for interior players, and that’s good for outside guys. He’s got really good feet. He grew up playing basketball,” offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley said.
“He has good enough feet to set that edge and be on an island. When he goes inside it’s almost easy for him. Inside, he has to adjust to the power game but outside he has enough of the speed and balance and ability to cover out there to do it.”
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For Moore, he doesn’t care where he plays, jokingly saying he’ll play “whatever one gets me on the field, man.”
And it’s a good mentality to have for someone that has missed time the last few springs. He missed all of spring practice in 2021 and had a family emergency keep him out of this off-season’s spring game.
Now, entering his next-to-last year of eligibility, he’s in a good spot mentally.
“I feel like mentally and physically I’m at the top of my game,” Moore said. “I feel like the past two years I’ve been dealing with things. This season I’m coming in here 100 percent ready to go.”
