DT Zacch Pickens to skip Gator Bowl; RB MarShawn Lloyd to transfer; Bell finds his new home Gamecocks found their man for OC postion
Dec. 12, 2022Here are today's top stories of the day in "Gamecock Football"
As it turns out, the last game for Gamecock defensive tackle Zacch Pickens in a Gamecock uniform was played in Pickens County. Pickens announced to reporters covering the Carolina senior ring ceremony this morning that he will not play in the Gator Bowl and will begin preparing for the NFL Draft.
In a November story, Pro Football Focus rated Pickens the #10 interior defensive lineman available in the draft. This season he had 42 tackles with 4 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. For his career Pickens totaled 131 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
That wasn’t all the bad news for Gamecock fans Monday. Star running back MarShawn Lloyd has entered his name into the Transfer Portal according to several media outlets that monitor the database. Over the weekend Lloyd scrubbed his Twitter and Instagram pages of any mention of him being affiliated with the Gamecocks.
Lloyd came to Carolina in 2020 as a highly touted prospect from Dematha High in Washington, DC. The Delaware native missed his freshman season with an ACL injury. He played in 11 games in 2021 and 9 games this season. He leaves the Gamecocks having rushed for 801 yards and 10 touchdowns, and 21 receptions for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Gamecock transfer Jaheim Bell announces commitment to Florida St. Bell on Monday announced a commitment to the Florida State Seminoles, he announced on Twitter. He thanked his fans and his coaches in the 45-second video he posted. Bell caught 56 passes for 757 yards and seven touchdowns in 30 games as a Gamecock. He spent a lot of time as a running back this year as well, with 73 attempts for 261 yards and three scores on the ground.
Dowell Loggains to South Carolina: Arkansas assistant expected to be Gamecocks' next OC. Arkansas tight ends coach Dowell Loggains is expected to accept the offensive coordinator job at South Carolina, according to 247Sports' Brandon Marcello.
Loggains, 42, would replace Marcus Satterfield, who left near the end of his two-year contract this month to join Matt Rhule’s staff at Nebraska. For those not familiar with Loggains, he has spent the past two seasons with the Razorbacks and is a former quarterback at the program and Arkansas native.
Loggains is a universally well-liked hire from coaching sources around the SEC and beyond, according to recent interviews conducted by 247Sports. There's an emphasis on "newest" here because the play-caller position with the Gamecocks has been a revolving door at the program since Steve Spurrier walked away in 2015.
RECAP RELATED
The Gamecocks will also be without safety RJ Roderick, a starter in the season opener against Georgia State, but an injury sidelined him and he eventually decided not to return and to enter the Transfer Portal, tight end Traveon Kenion, who left the program while announcing he’s stepping away from football, and reserve cornerback Joey Hunter and reserve safety Tyrese Ross who plan to transfer.
