Which Gamecocks are fastest, strongest, most musically gifted? Teammates weigh in
Last year, they were the South Carolina football players most mentioned by their teammates when asked about the strongest and fastest Gamecocks.
This year, junior offensive lineman Sadarius Hutcherson and junior receiver Shi Smith seem to have a near stranglehold on those respective titles. The State polled 12 players at media day on Aug. 1, and they were the only ones to be mentioned in their respective categories more than twice.
Hutcherson, who weighed just 230 pounds when he committed to the Gamecocks in 2016, now checks in at 320 and over the summer was named to The Athletic’s “Freak list” of college football’s most absurdly strong, fast and athletic. He can reportedly bench press 500 pounds and squat 650.
“He’s outrageously strong. You take one step into that weight room working out any day of the week and you’ll see him,” junior offensive lineman Chandler Farrell said. “The guy throws just ungodly amounts of weight on the bar and any exercise, and he’ll crush it like it’s not even there.”
“You talk about a guy that came in here playing defensive end out of high school — the amount of weight he’s put on in muscle is just insane,” sophomore offensive lineman Hank Manos said.
Even sixth-year senior lineman Donell Stanley, mentioned by Hutcherson as one of the few people on the team that can compete with his strength, conceded the title with a smile.
“I can” keep up with him in the weight room, Stanley said, “but I’ve got a little older over these years, so I let him have it.”
On the defensive side of the ball, senior lineman Javon Kinlaw earned a few votes, while freshman running back Kevin Harris and senior linebacker TJ Brunson were mentioned as favorites among non-linemen.
In terms of pure speed, Smith, who has a 4.40 40-yard dash to his name, continued to be the most mentioned player for USC. He does have some competition, however, in the form of redshirt freshman running back Lavonte Valentine, a track star who ran a 10.44 100-meter dash in high school.
“When it comes up, we talk trash about it,” Smith said. “Especially with Lavonte, I talk trash to him. I’ll just be like, ‘It’s different on the track.’ So I just put that in his ear and let him know.”
Senior running back Rico Dowdle also vouched for his position mate’s speed, and sophomore receiver Josh Vann received a couple of mentions as well.
Senior defensive back JT Ibe said he could think of eight players who could compete for the “fastest” title.
“We have good team speed,” Ibe said.
Off the field, the Gamecocks have been enjoying the new football operations building for almost eight months now, and that’s given plenty of players opportunities to sample all the amenities the building offers, including the recording studio.
So who has a potential future in music? Teammates most frequently mentioned redshirt sophomore safety Jaylin Dickerson as the team’s best rapper. Redshirt senior linebacker Eldridge Thompson also earned a couple votes.
Stanley, meanwhile, has posted on Twitter about potentially singing his preferred genre, country, with legendary USC alum Darius Rucker. But when asked about the recording studio Thursday, he had a confession.
“I don’t know how to work it. I see all those computers, I’m like, ‘How in the world?’ I get (sophomore offensive lineman) Jordan Rhodes, he makes all kinds of music and stuff. But I don’t know how to work it,” Stanley said.
Instead, Stanley prefers the players lounge, where he’s one of the team’s best ping pong players, he and Thompson agreed.
FASTEST PLAYER BY NUMBER OF MENTIONS
Shi Smith (4)
Lavonte Valentine (2)
Josh Vann (2)
Jamyest Williams (1)
Jaycee Horn (1)
Eldridge Thompson (1)
Can’t say (1)
STRONGEST PLAYER BY NUMBER OF MENTIONS
Sadarius Hutcherson (6)
Javon Kinlaw (2)
Donell Stanley (2)
TJ Brunson (1)
Kevin Harris (1)
BEST RAPPER/MUSICIAN BY NUMBER OF MENTIONS
Jaylin Dickerson (4)
Eldridge Thompson (2)
Jaycee Horn (1)
Shilo Sanders (1)
Evan Hinson (1)
Jordan Rhodes (1)
This story was originally published August 4, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Which Gamecocks are fastest, strongest, most musically gifted? Teammates weigh in."
