South Carolina pleased with early progress of Elijah Davis, Xzavier McLeod
There’s a vacuum at the top of South Carolina’s defensive line room at the moment.
The Gamecocks lost Zacch Pickens to NFL pastures and the next most tenured member of the room, Tonka Hemingway, is on the shelf coming off an offseason procedure.
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That means there are plenty of reps for South Carolina’s younger players and a talented crop of newcomers who are showing flashes through the first half of spring practice.
“They have to keep improving and continue to improve and fight to improve. But they’ve been willing to do that,” position coach Jimmy Lindsey said.
“They’re getting extra meeting time, asking questions to the older guys. I’m very pleased with that they’re coachable by me and their teammates, their peers, in that room.”
Two members of the Gamecocks’ 2023 recruiting class are on campus going through spring drills: junior college tackle Elijah Davis and freshman Xzavier McLeod.
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They are two of the more highly-rated members of the 2023 class at South Carolina, both four-star talents. Davis checks in as the No. 3 JUCO prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings and the top-ranked defensive tackle.
The Industry Ranking has McLeod as the No. 195 player and a top 25 player at his position.
Davis is a little bit older than McLeod, obviously, but the Wagener-Salley alum by way of East Mississippi Community College is showing some production playing up the middle.
“He obviously brings a good skill set for us playing the three-technique and the nose. He’s learning it day by day. We do a lot of stuff on defense so we’re digesting that,” Lindsey said. “The meeting time and walk-thrus we have helped him. We get him to keep progressing day by day.”
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McLeod has earned some praise from head coach Shane Beamer through the early part of spring practice and is continuing to build on that while adjusting to being in a college program.
At a listed height and weight of 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, he’s also one of the biggest guys on the roster. And he can help fill roles early for the Gamecocks
“You go to the rookie, as we call him, number 64 Xzavier McLeod. He’s talented. He’s very talented but very young,” Lindsey said. “Like Elijah, it’s a constant new thing every day but you see flashes. We go ones versus ones on the goal line last Saturday and he’s at the zero nose (guard) and held his own.”
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South Carolina will practice Saturday, the first scrimmage of the spring, with this one of the biggest data points early for young players like Davis and McLeod.
It’s not the be-all end-all for both guys. But the Gamecocks are pleased with how those two guys are progressing right now.
“Putting guys in competitive situations to see how they respond. Hopefully, they gain the confidence to execute at a high level,” Lindsey said. “Pleased with where those two guys are at right now.”
