One former Gamecock helped a current Gamecock with his own self-evaluation by comparing him to one of the NFL’s best.
Former South Carolina cornerback and current Carolina Panther Jaycee Horn compared defensive lineman Zacch Pickens to Philadelphia Eagles superstar Fletcher Cox, and Pickens explained a little bit of why at SEC Media Days.
“Jaycee said that I played and looked just like him whenever I play,” Pickens said. “So I’ve been looking at his stuff, trying to take some pointers from him. They (the NFL) said my run game was good, but I needed to develop a pass rush.”
Cox is one of the best in the world at his position, but who else makes the list of favorite players to watch for the 2022 Gamecocks? The answers range far and wide, from retired legends to budding superstars
Alex Huntley:
For another one of South Carolina’s defensive linemen, the inspiration comes from some players who played across the state.
“Even though they’re from Clemson, Christian Wilkins is a big guy,” he said of the current Miami Dolphin, before naming others. “Quinnen Williams, Leonard Williams; I love Grady Jarrett’s get-off.
And of course like all defensive linemen at every level of the sport, he looks up to “the GOAT” of the position in his eyes, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion Aaron Donald. One other name came to mind too, a former top-five overall draft pick out of Stanford currently playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I’m a big fan of Solomon Thomas,” he said. “I love the way he works and how he plays. I love those big three-technique guys who know how to rush the passer and stop the run.”
Jordan Burch:
The Los Angeles Rams had the best defensive line in football last season en route to their Super Bowl triumph, so it makes sense for their impact to spread all around the country. Burch is a former five-star recruit who is expected to step into his biggest role yet, and along with one of the Los Angeles anchors, one of the other players he admires had a similar experience as a five-star at Michigan.
“Rashan Gary and Von Miller,” Burch said are the two pass rushers he watches. “I like their get-offs, and I like how they finish plays. They can get blocks, you know, thrown out of the play, and they’re going to hustle back into the play and make a stop.”
Corey Rucker:
The Arkansas State transfer had 816 receiving yards and nine touchdowns with the Red Wolves last season and is best known for his four-touchdown outburst against Louisiana-Monroe as a freshman. And while Rucker was tearing Sun Belt defenses apart in 2020, his favorite player to watch was busy leading the NFL in receiving yards with the Buffalo Bills.
“When it comes to a total, complete receiver, it has to be Stefon Diggs,” Rucker said. “He’s so smooth and fluid. You watch him do his releases and the way he comes off the ball, the way he attacks downfield and the way he separates himself to get open.”
Jordan Strachan:
Another one of South Carolina’s Sun Belt transfers is Strachan, who is in his second season with the program from Georgia State. Strachan moved around on the defense last season in his role as an edge rusher, and he actually got to see one of the players he looks up to practicing right in front of him during South Carolina’s senior retreat over the summer.
“We went to Charlotte and we were able to watch the Panthers practice,” he explained. “I watched Brian Burns, and I loved watching him. I felt like a little kid at the high school watching the older guys playing high school football. I had that feeling when I was watching Brian Burns, so if it was someone I modeled my game after, it would be him.”
Burns recorded 23 sacks at Florida State from 2016-2018 and was Carolina’s first-round draft pick in 2019.
Christian Beal-Smith:
Even though they play on opposite sides of the ball, the similarities between Strachan and Beal-Smith run deep. Both players transferred into the program. Both were part of big rebuilding efforts at their former programs, Georgia State and Wake Forest respectively.
And both players like to model themselves after a Carolina Panther.
“I’m a big Panthers fan, so I’ve got to go with Christian McCaffrey,” Beal-Smith said. “Just the way he moves, he’s so smooth. It’s like he envisions himself before he runs. It’s just so amazing how smooth he runs. I’ve heard people trying to do it, and I’ve tried to learn how to do it, and I keep doing research on it. They say that the night before the game, just envision yourself running through a whole game. Have it in your mind what could happen, and what you want to happen. I tried it all last year, and I just haven’t had it click yet. Hopefully this year.”
Jalen Brooks:
For some players, it is not just about who they want to learn from, or who is the most enjoyable to watch on a Sunday. In the case of Brooks, it is about envisioning yourself as a player and trying to map out tendencies. While members of the Carolina Panthers were a popular team, Brooks sees another NFC South player in himself.
“That would be Calvin Ridley,” Brooks said after pondering for a moment. “I’m a big Ridley fan. Our stride is the same, our route-running is the same; I like him a lot.”
Stone Blanton:
When you see the number 52 in garnet and black on the field, it will be the freshman linebacker Blanton wearing the jersey. The freshman linebacker from Jackson, Mississippi did not end up with the number by happenstance though. 52 was his desired number when he arrived on campus, and the reason he wanted it so much goes back to his favorite player.
“Ray Lewis for me,” he said, speaking about the retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer. “I’ve always watched him growing up, and that’s who I’ve always wanted to model myself after.”
Spencer Rattler:
NFL comparisons are nothing new for Rattler, who is being hyped as a possible first-round draft pick next April and followed a long line of NFL starting quarterbacks when he was at Oklahoma. Next spring he will have an opportunity to become the first South Carolina quarterback ever selected in the top round, but in the meantime who does he look up to in the league? It’s a wide list including Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, but one name stood out from his youth through the present.
“Matt Stafford, I’ve been watching a lot of his film,” Rattler said. “He’s super smooth, being able to control the game, and just sitting in that pocket and just dealing. Being able to hit those no-look passes to win the Super Bowl, he does some great stuff, man. And I watched him and (running back) Knowshon Moreno at Georgia when I was younger, so it’s kind of cool to see him win one.”
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August 29, 2022 at 01:35AM
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