Stone Blanton ready to make more big hits in matchup against 'childhood dream team' Mississippi State
South Carolina linebacker Stone Blanton waited patiently. He continued to creep forward, waiting for the right moment to strike. He saw an opening and ran like he came out of a cannon.
Blanton found an open lane and came crashing in. There was nothing but open grass between him and Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. He laid a massive hit on Beck, sending South Carolina’s bench into a frenzy. Blanton proceeded to flex as the first half came to a tumultuous end.
It’s those type of moments that make Blanton, a first-time starter, love being on the field.
“If you’re coming home on a Saturday night, and you wake up in the morning and you can’t get out of bed, you know you did a good job,” Blanton said. “I kind of love that feeling is just being beat Sunday and then recover, recover, recover and get back to it Tuesday and then beat yourself up again. I love that process, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
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Blanton’s next chance to lay some more hits will come on Saturday night. But this game will be different from others. It holds so much meaning to him.
South Carolina will play Mississippi State at Williams-Brice Stadium. Blanton, a Jackson, Miss. native, grew up with a dream of going to school in Starkville. In fact, it almost came true. He committed to play baseball for the Bulldogs in January 2020 but ultimately flipped to the Gamecocks.
“It’s actually a crazy moment being able to prepare all week and play Mississippi State,” he said. “I grew up a Mississippi State fan, was committed to them for baseball for a long time. They were my childhood dream team. It’s really a surreal moment to be able to come here, and be able to play them. I’m really looking forward to it.”
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When push came to shove, Blanton had to break the news to Mississippi State head football coach Zach Arnett and baseball coach Chris Lemonis. It was a conversation he didn’t want to have. But he felt South Carolina was where he wanted to go.
“It was pretty hard to do, because I did really like that coaching staff,” Blanton said. “Baseball was a huge factor for Mississippi State, and it was for here. I had a really good relationship with Coach Lemonis and Coach Arnett. It was a hard decision and hard conversation to have, but they wished me luck and wanted what was best for me.”
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After one year in Columbia, Blanton has decided to stick solely to football. It’s looking to be the right move so far. In three games as a starter, he’s registered 16 tackles and one sack. And he’ll be looking to add to those numbers in a big way with a lot of friends and family slated to be in attendance.
“It should be a good bit of family and friends. It’ll probably be 20 or so,” Blanton said, smiling.
