Dec 27, 2014; Shreveport, LA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Skai Moore (10) and linebacker Jonathan Walton (28) celebrate after an interception by Walton in the second quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2014 Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Last year, South Carolina ranked No. 94 nationally in total defense.
If the Gamecocks are to improve upon its poor 3-9 record from a season ago, major issues on this side of the ball will need to be addressed.
The current 22-man Gamecocks' recruiting class has 11 players projected to play on defense. Two of those pledges -- Jamarcus King and T.J. Brunson -- appear ready to come in right away and help matters in Columbia.
DB Jamarcus King
King is regarded as the No. 1 JUCO cornerback nationally by 247sports. At 6'1", he's got terrific height and length for the position.
A fluid player in coverage, King can effectively flip his hips in coverage when defending against smaller receivers on routes down the field. He can also jam bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage quite well.
South Carolina does return the vast majority of its starting secondary from a season ago. With that said, it was a unit plagued by the big play at times. King wouldn't have signed with South Carolina if he were to sit on the bench.
Expect him to play a great deal from the moment he steps on campus (as a midyear enrollee).
LB T.J. Brunson
While he may be a bit undersized, Brunson is a pure football player.
Hard-nosed and tough, the Columbia native recently opted for South Carolina over Louisville. Brunson won't "wow" anyone with his physical tools. However, he's a highly productive football player -- evidenced by the fact he accrued 138 tackles as a senior in high school.
With Skai Moore potentially moving to safety, and Jonathan Walton's ultimate position a question mark, there could be an opportunity to impact right away.
It also helps Brunson from the standpoint he can function as both an outside and inside linebacker.
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