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Thinned-down Stone Blanton embracing starting role for South Carolina

On3 imageby: Collyn Taylor09/02/23collyntaylor
South Carolina linebacker Stone Blanton during the Gamecocks' training camp
Stone Blanton (Photo by Collyn Taylor, C.J. Driggers/GamecockCentral)

South Carolina linebacker Stone Blanton knew the playbook. That wasn’t his issue. He could easily get a play call and know where to go and what to do. 

The biggest hurdle for a freshman thrown into the fire late in the season was the speed of the game. 

It’s a big leap from high school, obviously, to the SEC and Blanton knew he had to not only adjust but get his body in the right spot. He did, and Blanton is now slated to start for the Gamecocks at linebacker this season. 

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“Last year was all about confidence. I didn’t have very much last year. I was still learning the defense and was not where I wanted to be physically either,” Blanton said. “To have this offseason to train and prepare for this season, it’s been a good transition. I’m able to learn the defense and know the guys better. I have a lot of confidence out there. I feel like that’s going to help me be in better spots in games and make big plays.” 

Blanton played in 12 games last year, finishing with seven tackles (1.5 for loss) with a pass breakup. It was a big learning curve for him, and he knew he would have to reshape his body for his sophomore season. 

The 6-foot-2 linebacker did, slimming down to 224 pounds entering 2023 and is moving around a lot better. 

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“I’m super excited about it. This preseason was super fun, and I had a good time out there with the guys. We worked really hard. I feel like I’m playing fast right now. I’m just going to rely on that and play physical come Saturday.”

Pair that with Blanton up to speed–literally–with the college game and it’s easy to see why he was also able to chisel out a starting role for South Carolina Saturday night. 

Those games, especially when he was playing more on defense later in the year, taught him what he needed to improve on this offseason. Things started to click for him then, and it got even better during the spring and summer. 

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“I knew the defense to the extent where I was comfortable going out there. It was just about playing against guys in the SEC. At this level, the game is a lot faster. That’s the confidence I needed to build. You can know the playbook off the field,” Blanton said. 

“But you have to know how fast the game is. It goes quickly. You have to keep learning. I feel like it clicked in season, probably toward the end. Then during the spring, I felt the most confident and comfortable.” 

Blanton will also be with the Gamecocks’ first-team defense at linebacker against North Carolina opposite Debo Williams. It will be Blanton’s first career start. 

And he can’t wait to get out there and see what this defense can do. 

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“I feel good this year. We’re starting off hot. The shoulder is all good,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of rehab this past offseason and it’s been one of the best for me in my career. If eel great and super excited about this game coming up.” 

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