South Carolina freshman no longer on team
South Carolina freshman defensive tackle Xzavier Mcleod is no longer with the football team.
A school spokesperson confirmed to GamecockCentral that McLeod is no longer with the team.
The former four-star prospect from Camden (S.C.) has played in four games this season but did not travel to Missouri this past week due to what Shane Beamer called a “coach’s decision.”
McLeod has collected one tackle and an interception on a tipped ball. McLeod has essentially been the team’s fifth defensive tackle, behind veterans like Tonka Hemingway, Boogie Huntley, T.J. Sanders, and Nick Barrett.
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The 6-foot-5, 284-pounder was rated a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the four major recruiting media sites. McLeod was considered the No. 196 overall prospect in the country as well as the No. 22 defensive lineman and No. 3 prospect in the state.
South Carolina travels to Texas A&M this weekend to take on the Aggies at noon on the SEC Network.
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What more can be done about Gamecocks defense
By Mike Uva
Ranked towards the bottom in FBS in nearly every defensive statical category, South Carolina’s defense is in a funk. A funk that they desperately need to get out of after falling to 2-5 this past weekend.
“Whenever you’re in a funk it’s not just gonna happen,” said defensive coordinator Clayton White. “You have to put the work in and continue staying with the process. Keep believing and just understand that we have the pieces here. We just got to continue — it’s all about consistency. We can’t just do it for seven plays or two drives. Sometimes you got to do it for 80, 70, 60 plays.”
