Young offensive line showcases talent in South Carolina spring game
South Carolina’s offensive line is full of young talent and former highly recruited high schoolers. Despite their age, these players are making a name for themselves before the season starts.
The Garnet team offensive line, led by redshirt sophomore Cason Henry, successfully stopped a struggling Black team defense. The Garnet team was able to score two touchdowns with the help of a strong front.
“Particularly, that Garnet group on the offensive line and when we did the draft we broke up the offensive lines into two 9-man teams,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “So the Garnet team had one offensive line of nine guys. Then the Black team had another team and then one of those teams, I guess Markee was on the black team I think. You lose your guy that was going to be your starting guard. You lose him in pregame warm-up so that didn’t help the Black team offensive line tonight.”
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Henry and the offensive line have continued to grow and learn as a strong front over the spring. However, true freshman Josiah Thompson has struggled with injury throughout spring practices.
“I think they’ve made progress you know we’ve been banged up front field just on the offensive line with some injuries,” Beamer said. “Josiah he was out for a couple weeks and it was hard to obviously get him work because he was out.”
South Carolina’s defense, loaded with veteran talent, has given the offense plenty of tough competition throughout spring practice.
“We’re young on the offensive line, we’re old on the defensive line,” Beamer said. “I mean you talk about Jules and Kell and Tonka and Boogie and TJ. Those guys have been in college football for some of those guys fives years now. Then you got freshman that should still be in high school today. They’re trying to block those guys and they’ve done a good job.”
Former four-star recruit and No. 1 offensive lineman in the class of 2024 Kam Pringle has wasted no time hitting the ground running. Pringle joined the team in January to gain experience and practice before the fall.
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“One of the best things that will help us is, I think I said it the other day to you guys, but you know last year we started two true freshman on the offensive line,” Beamer said. “Tree and Tro and they didn’t even get here until June and then they’re starting SEC games two months later. You got Blake Franks, you got Kam Pringle, you got Josiah Thompson. I just told Kam in the locker room it’ll be so much easier for him when he gets to August. One, he’s blocking a pretty good defense group.”
Staying healthy throughout the summer is key for the young line’s preparation. But for right now, Saturday was a positive night for a group that struggled so much last year.
“But I feel like this past week we’ve been able to get kind of a core group of guys in there. I feel like since last Saturday, we really committed to running the football,” Beamer said. “Last Saturday in the scrimmage, did a good job of it and then we’ve continued to develop that run, pass, protection all that this week as well. It would have been better I think to be honest it we had been able to just completely stay healthy. But we’ve done a good enough job and thought they did some good things tonight.
