Five former Gamecocks suit up for pro spring football teams
The Super Bowl won’t be the last time Gamecock fans can watch former players grace the field until next September.
Both the XFL and USFL seasons are around the corner, and the South Carolina football program has five players represented on rosters across both leagues.
Zaquandre White – RB, Birmingham Stallions (USFL)
White arrived as a transfer in 2020 after stints at Florida State and Iowa Western Community College. In his two years with the Gamecocks, he totaled 642 yards and two touchdowns in 104 rushing attempts. He also caught 21 passes for 198 yards and another three scores.
Following the 2022 NFL Draft, White signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. He ran for 25 yards on six carries during the preseason but was released from the Dolphins’ practice squad in October.
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White joins a Stallions squad that finished 9-1 and defeated the Philadelphia Stars 33-30 in the USFL Championship last season. Birmingham begins its 2023 campaign on April 15 against the New Jersey Generals.
Sadarius Hutcherson – OL, Memphis Showboats (USFL)
Hutcherson was a mainstay on the offensive line throughout his South Carolina, making 45 appearances and 39 starts from 2016-2020.
He had his best season during his fifth-year senior campaign in 2020, where he was named a permanent team captain, started all 10 games for the Gamecocks and earned second-team All-SEC honors from Pro Football Focus and third-team All-SEC honors from Phil Steele.
Hutcherson was invited to the 2021 NFL Combine but COVID-19 prevented the event from taking place. He went undrafted and signed a three-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers worth nearly $2.5 million. In his first preseason game, he suffered a torn ACL and was placed on season-ending injury reserve. He never made another NFL appearance and was eventually released in August 2022.
Hutcherson was signed on Feb. 15 by the Showboats, who are playing in their first USFL season in 2023. Their inaugural game will take place on April 15 against the Philadelphia Stars.
Kobe Smith – DL, San Antonio Brahmas (XFL)
Smith made 48 appearances, including 17 starts, on the defensive line in his four-year South Carolina football career. He accumulated 84 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks from 2016 to 2019.
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Smith went undrafted and spent time on the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squads from 2020 to 2022.
Smith’s team, the Brahmas, are one of eight teams competing in the XFL, which is returning for the first time since 2020. The Brahmas’ first game is on Sunday against the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Kyle Markway – TE, Michigan Panthers (USFL)
Markway is a five-year veteran of the South Carolina football team, playing from 2015-2019. He recorded 37 receptions, 459 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his Gamecock career. He also appeared on the SEC’s academic honor roll list every year in college.
Markway played on four NFL practice squads. From 2020-2022, he had six practice squad stints with the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams. He appeared on an active roster for one game – the Browns’ divisional round playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 postseason.
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Markway was originally signed by the Stallions but had his rights transferred to the Panthers on Dec. 15.
The Panthers finished the 2022 USFL season with a 2-8 record and missed the postseason. The team will make its 2023 debut against the Houston Gamblers on April 16.
Blake Camper – OL, Philadelphia Stars (USFL)
Camper played for the Gamecocks from 2015-2018, making 40 appearances (and 10 starts) at right tackle.
He is a returning member of a Stars squad that finished 6-4 and lost in the 2022 USFL Championship game. Camper appeared in nine of the team’s 10 regular season games, starting in eight of them.
The Stars return to action on April 15 in a matchup against the Memphis Showboats.
