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Jatius Geer already taking his play to 'different level' in first camp with Gamecocks

imageby:Jack Veltri•08/17/23•

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Jatius Geer (Collyn Taylor & CJ Driggers/GamecockCentral)

Jatius Geer was like most young boys growing up. He had a dream to play college football.

Ideally, he wanted to play for the Gamecocks, his home state team. But it didn’t work out that way. He instead played two seasons on Syracuse’s defensive line. Though, after last season, he decided it was time for a change.

Geer entered the transfer portal and wanted to find a new school and team he could call his home. So when South Carolina came calling, he wasn’t passing it up.

“It would just be something I used to pray for as a kid, just going to college at first and going to Syracuse. And then coming back here, I’m just definitely grateful to be able to do that,” he said.

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Now a few weeks into his first preseason camp in Columbia, Geer is still getting acclimated. But he feels good about where he’s at right now.

“I’m settling in pretty well. I’m making the right adjustments to the defense, catching onto everything pretty fast,” Geer said.

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Much like the other transfers on the team, it didn’t take long for Geer to make his first noticeable impact on the field. During South Carolina’s first scrimmage last Saturday, he made a big play by creating a turnover.

“I had a pick. It bounced off a pass deflection,” Geer said. “One of the things coach (Clayton) White and my coach Sterling Lucas preaches every day is running to the ball. So that was just a result of running to the ball and effort.”

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Geer, a defensive end, steps into a position group that has many question marks. But he could be a guy that fits that spot well. He finished with 33 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick for the Orange last year.

“I think definitely in the edge room, in the linebacker room, we have some great pass rushers. So I think I’ll just be another addition to that, being able to rush the passer and get to the quarterback a little more,” he said.

As each practice passes, Geer feels his game is continuing to improve drastically. And a big part of that has to do with working with defensive ends coach Sterling Lucas.

“He’s really just taken me to a different level that reached a ceiling I didn’t even know I had,” Geer said. “Just been a lot of creativity within me.”

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