Nick Emmanwori talks who could step up with DQ Smith out for first half on Saturday
Nick Emmanwori knows a thing or two about being the next man up. He had to do it when veteran RJ Roderick went down in Week 1 last year.
Emmanwori filled in well and became a full-fledged starter in the secondary the rest of the way.
So with DQ Smith out for the first half this Saturday, Emmanwori knows other players need to step up in his absence.
“Losing DQ is tough. When he went down in that second half versus Texas A&M, I was kind of like stopped. I wasn’t too sure about the call,” Emmanwori said.
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Midway through the third quarter last Saturday, Smith put his helmet down and laid a hit on Texas A&M wide receiver Evan Stewart.
After a few minutes of reviewing the play, targeting was the call. He wouldn’t see the field for the rest of the game. But on top of that, he won’t be able to play the first half against Jacksonville State on Nov. 4.
As of right now, South Carolina is appealing the call in hopes of getting it overturned before the next game.
“We’ll see if that goes anywhere,” head coach Shane Beamer said on Sunday. “We already did that and waiting to hear back.”
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If Smith can’t go for the first half, it’s a big loss for the Gamecock defense. The sophomore defensive back has made 56 tackles, forced a fumble and had two pass deflections and an interception.
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“Losing him, he’s a big piece of our defense, he’s a leader out there. One of our captains on our defense,” Emmanwori said. “We’ve just got to find that next man to step up, and I think the coaches are doing a good job of that.”
There’s not a ton of time to find that next guy on defense, though. South Carolina only has a few days left to practice before Saturday’s contest at noon.
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But Emmanwori believes the secondary has plenty of depth to fill the void. He said David Spaulding, Keenan Nelson, Kajuan Banks can do a fine job in Smith’s absence.
He even mentioned freshman Zahbari Sandy as someone worthy enough to come in and make plays. Sandy hasn’t played much this year, only appearing in two games.
“I feel like we’ve got a lot of guys that can fill that role. It just comes down to having a great week of practice and showing it on the field,” Emmanwori said.
