Demetrius Knight, Bam Martin-Scott give a look into South Carolina linebacker room

South Carolina made numerous additions to the linebacker position this offseason, both from the portal and the 2024 signing class. 

Graduate transfer Demetrius Knight joined the Gamecocks from Charlotte, and is settling into his position in the linebacker room. 

“It’s been a blessing just to get to know everyone, just to start to come together,” Knight said. “You start to create that true brotherhood that you go through when the season seems far away.”

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Knight said fifth-year linebacker Bangally Kamara stands out to him and has been a guy who “really showed up.” Kamara transferred to South Carolina from Pittsburgh.

Alongside Kamara, Knight has taken notice of two freshman additions to the team. Linebackers Wendell Gregory and Fred “JayR” Johnson have shown Knight their “dog mentality.”

“They come to meeting rooms like a sponge and that’s how you should be as a freshman, wanting to absorb everything you can from not just coach (Clayton) White and coach (Trey) Money, but all the linebackers in the room.”

Knight said Gregory and Johnson take advantage of their locker locations and ask him questions. 

“How to play this, what play, what am I thinking on certain plays when I make plays and things like that,” Knight said. “They’ve really been students of the game, which is, as a freshman, that’s what you want to be especially if you want to touch the field. And I believe they will be able to have the ability to do that.” 

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Graduate linebacker Bam Martin-Scott also noticed the freshman duo. He said Johnson picks up quickly, while Gregory’s transition to playing the true linebacker position has been going well. 

“We have a lot of versatility, coming off the edge, on pass rush and playing in coverage, and just being, like, fast linebackers,” Martin-Scott said. “In the linebacker room, I feel like there’s no drop off really with adding (Knight) and (Kamara). And then with the freshmen, (Gregory) and (Johnson), everybody’s competing and it’s nice because everybody is kind of in the same tier.”

Martin-Scott is one of the returning linebackers from last season, joined by redshirt senior Debo Williams. Knight called Williams a “true leader” and said he asks him questions about plays and techniques.  

“He’s not going to let you get low, he’s not gonna let you get high,” Knight said. “So great, great leader in the room, great leader on the team. He’s been someone that I’ve definitely been close to since I’ve got here and developed, obviously, a relationship with him, (Martin-Scott), all the guys in the room. It’s been nothing but family since I’ve been here.”

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