Pete Lembo breaks down punt, kick returner competitions
A lot of focus this preseason for South Carolina is position battles on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, but there are a few different ones raging on special teams as well.
The Gamecocks return some key pieces on special teams–including punter, holder, snapper and placekicker–but have to replace their starting punt returner and might have a competition at kick retuner.
Wednesday, special teams coordinator Pete Lembo got a chance to update both.
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“It’s a little bit by committee right now. Ahmarean Brown has had a good preseason. Eddie Lewis has had a good preseason, and Eddie has some experience having done it at Memphis,” Lembo said. “Jalon Kilgore is a guy with a bright future back there. And Vicari Swain is very natural at it. I’ve been repping him a little bit more here recently. Need to continue to get him some more work. Then Juju can do it as well.”
Josh Vann was the team’s sure-handed returner the last two seasons but he’s off the roster now and leaves the Gamecocks looking for options.
Brown returned punts for South Carolina in the bowl game with Vann injured, but there are others pushing him.
Lewis seems to be the veteran pushing him the most, a portal addition after a few years at Memphis. During his time with the Tigers he returned 28 punts for 256 yards and had one return for a touchdown. He was the team’s starting returner last year with 27 punt returns for 255 yards and that score.
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Lembo mentioned a pair of freshmen in Swain and Kilgore, two of the more oft-talked-about freshmen on defense. Swain was a borderline top-50 prospect in the On3 rankings and could have come to South Carolina to play receiver.
Instead, he chose defensive back and could chisel out a role on special teams. Kilgore was another blue-chip prospect in the class at No. 278 overall in the 2023 class.
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“For one spot there, we are very deep,” Lembo said. “We can very easily go with two deep returners in some situations if it called for it and feel very comfortable putting two guys out there on the field.”
The kick retuner spot is a little more complicated with two entrenched guys at that position in Xavier Legette and Dakereon Joyner.
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The only issue there, though, could be the fact both are going to be integral pieces offensively for South Carolina. South Carolina expects both to start and play more snaps there, which could limit their roles on special teams.
If they aren’t back there, Lembo has confidence in a few other guys.
“For me, kick returners are non-negotiables. It’s those two guys, Juju and we’re developing some other guys. Certainly, Juju has made plays in games for us before and I have a lot of confidence in him,” he said. “The team has a lot of confidence in him. We have three or four (guys). Ahmarean Brown has had a good preseason catching kicks.”
Lembo also mentioned three-star receivers Tyshawn Russell and Elijah Caldwell–plus Swain–as freshmen who can return kicks as well.
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“We have some younger guys that can really, really go. They’re just raw right now and certain things we do back there are new to them,” Lembo said. “And they’re learning an appreciation that this is not just like rolling a ball out there and go play. They’re going to need some time. But three are some dynamic young guys I’m excited about bringing along over the course of a season.”
