'This game only strengthens us': Core of young players ready to form after Gator Bowl loss

Because of either talent or necessity in the moment, South Carolina started plenty of new faces Friday night in a 45-38 loss to Notre Dame.

The Gamecocks had to play numerous young players in both the secondary and sparingly at receiver with over 10 contributors not on the roster for the Gator Bowl due to either transferring or opting out.

“Those guys got in there and battled and got thrown into some tough situations for sure, but certainly did a great job,” Shane Beamer said.

Nick Emmanwori, DQ Smith, and Keenan Nelson made up the three freshmen in the secondary. Emmanwori and Smith were the most experienced at this point, with both starting multiple games in the season.

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Nelson on the other hand had only logged eight snaps total in all of 2022.

“We certainly played some really, really young guys on the perimeter, on defense,” Beamer said. “Keenan Nelson was a guy that had hardly played at all this year, and he started today at nickel.”

Nelson was filling big shoes at that position, one that was held by future NFL draft pick Cam Smith all year. The absence of Smith and another veteran in Darius Rush caused some lapses in communication, Smith said, but overall he felt the unit improved.

“Keenan is a special player and he proved it tonight,” Smith said. “We didn’t get the outcome we wanted. But, that’s what we’re built for and we’ll get better.”

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The trio combined for 13 tackles against Notre Dame. Nelson added a pass breakup to the stat line that led to an interception, and Smith an interception taken back for a touchdown.

“Those guys continue to get better each and every week, and they’re big-time players, and excited that they’re just freshmen,” Beamer said. “We’ve got a lot of young players that played out there today, and they’re only going to continue to get better.”

O’Donnell Fortune also made an impact on the defensive side of the ball with a 100-yard pick-six. He may not be as young as the trio of freshmen, but the sophomore had just as little experience. Fortune was also making his second career start.

“Keenan, all those young guys, they weren’t afraid,” Fortune said. “They played hard, they communicated well, we all communicated, just had a couple busts now and then. Overall it was good.”

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Smith was quick to look to the future, and like Beamer, is excited about the potential of having a young core in the defense next season.

“I think this game only strengthens us together,” Smith said. “We only can get closer from here. So you know, come next year, our defense will be way better than it was this year.”

Offensively, the younger players weren’t required to have as much of an impact as their defensive counterparts.

Though the Gamecocks lost their second, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh leading receivers before the Gator Bowl – there was still plenty of talent to work with.

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But beyond the starting rotation, the roster was inexperienced.

“On the perimeter, as well, we went into this game with knowing that (Xavier) Legette, Juice (Wells), (Ahmarean Brown) and (Dakereon Joyner) were going to be our top-four receivers,” Beamer said. “After that, it was going to be a combination of Payton Mangrum, who has primarily been a special teams guy for us, Landon Samson, who I don’t think he’s played, and then O’Mega Blake, who really hasn’t played.”

Blake was targeted twice and brought in one catch for one yard. Samson was targeted once but dropped that pass. Mangrum was not targeted at all.

Despite the lack of statistics, the three young guys still played in meaningful moments.

“All week we trusted those boys, those boys did good all week,” Legette said. “Even when we put them in there in the clutch moments today man, I feel like they did everything right and those boys played hard.”

Spencer Rattler said South Carolina rode the starters pretty heavily, but that it was good for Blake, Mangrum, and Samson to play.

“They’re gonna get better,” Rattler said.

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