Joe DeCamillis provides updates on special teams through spring practices
Associate head coach and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis shared updates on the place kicker and punter situation. After concluding the tenth spring practice, there is lot of competition among the special teams room.
Alex Herrera will have an opportunity at being South Carolina’s main place kicker this year but has battled injury in the offseason. Last season, Herrera appeared in just two games for the Gamecocks.
“Unfortunately with Alex, he ended up getting a little bit of a heel injury right before we started,” DeCamillis said. “So he’s been limited in quite a few practices early on. [He] ended up hitting some balls today which is good to see. It’s been a little bit of a struggle for him so far.”
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Redshirt junior William Joyce is another veteran who could step up to a starting role in the fall. Joyce only appeared in one game last season but adds competition to the special teams room. He provides depth as a holder, kickoff specialist and punter.
“Joyce has done a good job for us, some of the guys that have been here in the past. We’ve had a good competition so far there so its good to see,” DeCamillis said.
With South Carolina’s star kicker Mitch Jeter transferring to Notre Dame, DeCamillis had work to do getting someone ready for the role. Luckily, the Gamecocks recruited three-star prospect Mason Love.
Love, who was also recruited by Florida State, was ranked third amongst class of 2024 punters in the nation. As a Gamecock, Love is getting ready to help with kickoff and punting.
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“I think right now I would view him more as a kickoff man and a punter,” DeCamillis said. “That’s how I would view him right now. We want to put him in that position now to where he’s a place kicker but we’ll see how it goes during the summer.”
Love averaged 44 yards per punt and connected on 16-of-20 field goals and 17-of-18 extra points as a senior at Park Hill South High School (MO). He comes to South Carolina with a lot of potential.
“We want to try to spoon feed him a little bit and get him going where he’s positive tight now,” DeCamillis said. “And he’s had a really good spring so far as a punter and a kickoff man.”
