South Carolina football signs UAB grad transfer Drew Tuazama, eligible to play in 2023

COLUMBIA — With less than two weeks until the first game of the season, South Carolina football has added transfer edge rusher Drew Tuazama to its 2023 roster.

Tuazama, a graduate transfer from Raleigh, North Carolina, began his college career at Syracuse in 2019 and played two seasons there before transferring to East Mississippi Community College in 2021. He played the 2022 season at UAB, leading the Blazers with five sacks to earn All-Conference USA honors.

Tuazama said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he officially became eligible as a graduate transfer Aug. 11 but began trying to leave UAB in April. He has two years of eligibility remaining and chose South Carolina among offers from Colorado, Indiana and Mississippi State.

The 6-5, 275-pound Tuazuma adds to a major position of need for South Carolina. The Gamecocks lost 2022 starting edge rushers Gilber Edmond and Jordan Burch in the transfer portal, and presumed 2023 starter Jordan Strachan is recently recovered from last year's season-ending ACL tear. Tyreek Johnson and Terrell Dawkins have also practiced in no-contact jerseys during preseason.

Tuazama is now the second edge transfer on the Gamecocks' roster, joining sophomore Jatius Geer who like Tuazama began his career at Syracuse. South Carolina also has a connection to Tuazama's other former team in Elijah Davis, a four-star defensive lineman from East Mississippi Community College.

The Gamecocks kick off the 2023 season against North Carolina at the Carolina Panthers' Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sept. 2. The game will also host ESPN's College GameDay for South Carolina's first appearance on the show since 2014.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football adds UAB transfer Drew Tuazama to 2023 roster