Sack record or not, Kyle Kennard's legacy already cemented at South Carolina

From the moment Clayton White arrived at the doorstep, he knew the player he was set to meet would be the one to help his defense greatly in 2024.

On an in-home visit with a recruit, White walked inside the house with assistant coaches Travian Robertson, Sterling Lucas and Torrian Gray. This wasn’t just some ordinary visit. Bringing the main core of the defensive staff meant this was serious business.

“We had a statement that he’s the kind of player we wanted and a lot of reasons why,” said White, now in his fourth year as South Carolina’s defensive coordinator.

The player White visited was defensive end Kyle Kennard. At the time, Kennard was in the transfer portal and looking to find a new home for his final year of college football. And right in front of him, four of South Carolina’s brightest defensive minds stood, with the desire to bring him aboard.

Even head coach Shane Beamer knew this was a player he would like to have his football team. As soon as he turned on his tape from Georgia Tech, he saw all the big plays, including the six sacks he recorded with the Yellow Jackets in 2023.

But there was much more than just the highlight-reel plays that caught Beamer’s attention.

“I remember specifically watching Kyle play against Wake Forest last year,” Beamer said, “and just seeing the explosion, the twitch, the bend, the athleticism, the strength, all the stuff we are seeing right now. I remember seeing that and thinking this guy could be really, really great for us.”

The feeling was mutual from Kennard’s side. He felt the same way about the coaching staff as they did about him. And that’s ultimately what made him decide to commit to South Carolina last December.

“I really liked the coaching, like as far as the coaching staff,” Kennard said in February. “Mainly my position coach, Coach Sterling Lucas, he was a big driving piece and the reason I decided to come here.”

Though Kennard has only been in Columbia for less than a year, his impact has been nothing short of remarkable.

“It’s been nothing short of a blessing,” Kennard said.

A season for the ages

Beamer knew he was getting a good player. But he didn’t know Kennard would be as good as he’s turned out to be.

It was already established from the start that Kennard was going to be a different type of player. He had always been a solid player at Georgia Tech, but he’s been much better than anyone could’ve ever imagined.

Two plays into his first game, he laid a big hit on Old Dominion quarterback Grant Wilson, forcing a fumble that would be recovered by the Gamecocks inside the five-yard line. He’d finish that game with four tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Not bad for an introduction.

“It is not a flash, it is dominant every single Saturday,” Beamer said. “… He has really taken this opportunity that he has at South Carolina and has helped himself so much on and off the field. And his best football is still in front of him.”

This emphatic opening would be the first of many “wow” moments this season. Though there are still two weeks to go in the regular season, he’s already put up next-level numbers with 25 tackles, a team-leading 10.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries.

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Some may have not seen this type of season coming from him. But others did, like assistant defensive line coach Kevin Hubbard. He knew very quickly into Kennard’s time as a Gamecock that something special was brewing.

“We saw him in workouts in January. We started spring ball; it was a very competitive spring for us as a team. We had a lot that we had to accomplish and prove from last year’s season,” Hubbard said. “So, he was one of the ones in spring practices that really had some shining moments. Those early on practices were full contact. That first scrimmage, he really came out and exploded and showed us that we really had something.”

Just two games after his debut, Kennard faced his first true moment of adversity in Columbia. In a 36-33 loss to LSU, a game that many believe South Carolina should’ve won, the officials flagged him for three penalties, with two of them taking touchdowns off the board.

Not every player would’ve been able to do what Kennard did next. Just three days later, he stood up at a podium in front of reporters. He answered all questions about the game and his miscues in hopes of moving on.

While it was a tough time for him, he went about his business the right way. This is what his coaches and teammates saw in him since the beginning.

“I think that’s the part that that he’s rubbed off on our team in regards of how to be a professional every single day, how to come to work,” White said. “Every day is not going to be a great day — it’s not. But he did a great job of putting his foot down and working, with him and Coach Lucas trying to get better every single day. That’s going to be the bigger impression that he leaves on our younger players.”

Since then, Kennard has done just about everything asked of him and so much more. He’s been one of the main reasons why South Carolina’s defense has been amongst the best in the country.

“What he’s been able to do this year is incredible. I think that just a test to the whole defense because it’s like he’s been able to get one-on-ones and now they’re trying to double team him,” Debo Williams said. “But in the beginning of the year, he was able to get one-on-ones because you got to game plan a lot of people on our defense. He’s just been taking advantage of all his opportunities.”

Giving back to the community

With the holiday season approaching, Kennard wanted to be able to show his appreciation and give back to the Columbia area. So, he hosted a food drive on Monday, where he handed out Thanksgiving turkeys to those in need.

“We’re around Thanksgiving, so I thought it would be the best holiday spirit to give out things like turkeys and corn breads and things like that,” Kennard said. “What better way to celebrate than to give back to the community? So, I felt like that was the right thing to do.”

Teaming up with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands to help with the event, Kennard walked into the gym at Bethel Hanberry Elementary School in Blythewood, where dozens of excited children eagerly awaited to meet one of their many heroes.

Many families from within the community lined up with reusable grocery bags to go around and collect canned goods and other side items from a row of tables. When each family received a turkey from Kennard himself, they were able to chat and take pictures with him.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve felt nothing but outward support on and off the field,” Kennard said. “Even during the games, they scream all of our names. Off the field, I’m going to class, going out into the community to restaurants and barber shops that I talk to. I just felt it was in my best interest to give back to the community and do something like this for them.”

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Among those in attendance were many of Kennard’s family members and friends. Even two of his South Carolina coaches, Lucas and Hubbard, wanted to stop by and show their support.

“It’s awesome, man. It’s awesome. He obviously loves the kids. I see how great of a father he is. With the ability to give back, I wanted to come out here and support him because I know how important this is to him,” Lucas said.

This was the first time Kennard held his own charity event. He said he wants to do more of them in the future.

“Knowing Kyle, having an opportunity to get to know him and the type of guy he is outside of being a football player, this isn’t surprising that he would have an event like this. It speaks to the type of guy he is,” Hubbard said.

“A lot of times, football players will get a rap for being one kind of way. So, for people to be able to see you do stuff like this, I think it’s good and shows the type of heart that Kyle has.”

Approaching a big record

As the sacks have continued to come, the conversation has started to pop up more often. Kennard hears plenty about it, but he usually tries to not make a big deal out of it and instead opts to joke about it sometimes.

With 10.5 sacks on the season, Kennard now ranks second in South Carolina’s single-season sack record books. He’s only three sacks away from breaking the program record, previously set by Jadeveon Clowney in 2012.

He’s kept a good pace throughout this season to be in this position to potentially chase down Clowney’s record. In all but one game, he’s managed to record at least 0.5 sacks, with one in each of his last two games.

Whether he makes history or comes up short, Kennard will be content either way. But it’s still something he would like to accomplish if he can.

“Sometimes I try to not take it in. It’s a thing. I’m aware of it,” he said. “And I’m going to do my best to do it. But I’m well centered in myself to where if it happens or it doesn’t.”

From the perspective of others, this record is very important.

“He’s going to be cliché and he’s going to say the record doesn’t matter. It definitely matters,” Lucas said. “Obviously a record for someone like Jadeveon Clowney, probably the best player to ever play at South Carolina, to be able to break that record, I think that’s a really big deal to him. I think he wants to do that.”

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In recent weeks, Kennard has had conversations with Lucas and Hubbard about the record and all that comes with being on the verge of history. As he gets closer, Hubbard’s advice is to not “switch up” from what he’s been doing all season.

“You’ve been close because of what you’ve been doing. The record is in sight because of who he’s been prior to this point,” Hubbard said. “Don’t switch up. Just keep it business as usual. Whatever your Mondays have been like, your Tuesdays have been like, continue to be that way. Continue to coach practice with the same enthusiasm and energy.”

At the same time, Kennard is keeping everything in perspective and taking it one game at a time. His main focus right now is on Wofford, the Gamecocks’ next opponent on Saturday. He’ll also be honored on senior day at Williams-Brice Stadium before the game.

“That’ll be a very emotional day for me,” Kennard said. “This is my fifth year and I’ve been through a lot over these last five years. I feel like that’ll be a very big thing for me and my family, as well.”

In the same vein, Kennard’s sights are set on helping South Carolina do things it hasn’t done in quite some time. The Gamecocks will have a chance to finish with nine regular season wins for the first time since 2013. If they can win these next two games and win their bowl game, it would mark only the fifth 10-win season in program history.

“Man, we play this game to win, so that would mean everything,” he said. “I came here to win. I gave my blood, sweat and tears in the offseason to win. So, for us to win out this season would be my ultimate goal.”

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