Shane Beamer provides latest on South Carolina left tackle competition
South Carolina offensive tackle Tree Babalade didn’t arrive in Columbia as a freshman last year until the summer but as the Gamecocks took the field at No. 1 Georgia it was the then-true freshman who trotted out with the first team.
The 6-foot-5, 325-pounder would ultimately play in 11 games for the Gamecocks, starting nine, as a true freshman last year, saying plenty about both his talent level and the overall situation on the offensive line.
With a full year’s worth of SEC experience, Babalade is back and hoping to take another step forward in 2024 but is being pushed by a true freshman in Josiah Thompson who is looking to do the same thing this year that Babalade did last.
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Head coach Shane Beamer spoke at the Myrtle Beach Welcome Home Tour event Tuesday night and gave the latest on that position battle.
“Those guys are battling it out,” Beamer said. “Tree obviously started, what is it, 10 games, I think, last season at left tackle as well. So we know what he can do. And he’s really working hard to take another step this year. Josiah came in and is everything that we thought he was going to be. He was limited a little bit health-wise during spring practice. But this summer is really, really big for him to take another step.
“So I would say those two guys are certainly battling it out and in my mind are kind of the top two.”
Regardless of the order, that duo should provide Carolina solid depth at left tackle, one of the hardest positions to fill from a recruiting standpoint.
Babalade signed with South Carolina in 2023 as a Blue Chip prospect, rated four-stars and the No. 16 offensive tackle in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
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The industry ranked Thompson, a 2024 signee, as a high four-star prospect with On3’s scouting being even higher on him, rating him a five-star and the No. 1 offensive tackle in the country.
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But it wasn’t Babalade or Thompson who opened spring ball with the first team at left tackle — that was veteran Jakai Moore — further speaking to the potential improved depth at that position after a season where injuries decimated any semblance of depth.
“Jakai would also be somewhat of a swing guy that could play guard and tackle, has played guard and tackle, where it gives you three guys right there that have the ability to play left tackle without a doubt,” Beamer added. “So those two guys, along with Jakai, are still battling it out.”
Moore, a sixth-year player who has been slowed by injuries throughout his career so far, has appeared in 44 career games with 28 starts. He has made 13 career starts at left tackle, seven at left guard, four at right guard, and four at right tackle. That experience and versatility could be key.
“And that’s something that’ll go into the season,” Beamer continued, referring to the position battle. “But certainly, we want to be able to identify — you have five on the field at a time, you’d love 10, but ideally eight offensive linemen that you feel really, really solid about being in a rotation in every game.”
