South Carolina football transfer portal tracker: Who's leaving, joining the Gamecocks

COLUMBIA — The transfer portal rumors erupted quickly for South Carolina football after ending the 2023 season on a brutal 16-7 loss to Clemson.

The Gamecocks (5-7, 3-5 SEC) missed a bowl game this year for the first time under coach Shane Beamer, though the team is set to bring in the No. 19 recruiting class in the country with the early signing period just weeks away.

The portal officially opened Dec. 4, and 17 players have announced their intention to transfer from the Gamecocks thus far. It closes Jan. 2 and will open again from April 16-30.

Here's a look at who is leaving from South Carolina's 2023 roster, and who is joining the Gamecocks for 2024:

Players leaving South Carolina via transfer portal

Mario Anderson, RB: Redshirt senior Mario Anderson transferred to the Gamecocks from Division II Newberry after an All-American season in 2022. He was the team's leading rushing in 2023 with 707 yards on 143 carries.

Tanner Bailey, QB: Redshirt freshman Tanner Bailey was a four-star prospect and the No. 15 quarterback in the Class of 2022. He first committed to Oregon in high school before flipping to the Gamecocks on signing day. Bailey did not appear in any games at South Carolina.

Kajuan Banks, DB: Sophomore cornerback Kajuan Banks logged eight tackles, two pass breakups and an interception across 25 appearances in his first two seasons. He was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2022.

O'Mega Blake, WR: Redshirt sophomore O'Mega Blake was a three-star and the No. 5 prospect from South Carolina in the Class of 2021. He appeared in all 12 games with four starts in 2023, logging 250 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 19 receptions.

Colten Gauthier, QB: Redshirt sophomore Colten Gauthier was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2021. He appeared in two games in two seasons at South Carolina, completing two of three pass attempts for a combined 34 yards.

Felix Hixon, DT: Redshirt freshman Felix Hixon was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2022. The 6-3, 309-pound lineman never appeared in a game at South Carolina.

Kylic Horton, WR: Redshirt freshman Kylic Horton is from Santee and was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2022. He did not appear in any games at South Carolina.

Mitch Jeter, PK: Senior Mitch Jeter was a two-year starter for the Gamecocks at kicker, making 92% of his field goals and 96.3 % of his PATs across 2022 and 2023. His longest field goal at South Carolina was 53 yards.

Grayson Mains, OL: Redshirt freshman Grayson Mains was South Carolina's backup center in 2023, but he did not appear in any games despite a slew of injuries on the O-line. The 6-5, 296-pound center was a three-star prospect in the class of 2022.

D'Andre Martin, DT: Redshirt freshman D'Andre Martin appeared in three games in 2023, logging a single tackle against Vanderbilt. The 6-4, 306-pound lineman was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2022.

Xzavier McLeod, DL: Freshman Xzavier McLeod was dismissed from the Gamecocks' program after he did not travel to the Tennessee game in Week 5. The former four-star prospect was ranked in the top 200 nationally in the Class of 2023.

JonDarius Morgan, OL: Redshirt sophomore JonDarius Morgan appeared in six games at guard for South Carolina in 2022. The 6-3, 319-pound lineman was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2021.

Isaiah Norris, DB: Redshirt senior Isaiah Norris, an Anderson native, transferred to South Carolina in 2021 from junior college Georgia Military. He was a three-star JUCO prospect, appearing in nine games with one tackle across three seasons with the Gamecocks.

Landon Samson, WR: Redshirt freshman Landon Samson made his lone game appearance at South Carolina in the 2022 Gator Bowl. He was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2021.

Zavier Short, WR: Redshirt freshman Zavier Short originally committed to South Carolina as a tight end but converted to wide receiver. The Chapin native was a three-star prospect and only appeared in a single game with the Gamecocks.

Antwane "Juice" Wells, WR: Senior Juice Wells transferred to the Gamecocks from James Madison and was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2022, leading the team with 928 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He missed most of the 2023 season after a foot injury in Week 4.

Donovan Westmoreland, EDGE: Sophomore Donovan Westmoreland played in just two games in 2023 after appearing in seven in 2022. The 6-1, 234-pound edge rusher was a four-star prospect and the No. 38 linebacker in the Class of 2022.

Players transferring to South Carolina

Oscar Adaway, RB: Junior Oscar Adaway rushed for a career-best 738 yards with six touchdowns plus 89 receiving yards at North Texas in 2023. The 5-10, 219-pound running back was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2019.

Jared Brown, WR: Redshirt sophomore Jared Brown comes to the Gamecocks after three seasons at Coastal Carolina. He earned All-Sun Belt honorable mention honors in 2023 after logging 740 receiving yards, 252 rushing yards and five combined touchdowns.

Jawarn Howell, RB: Freshman Jawarn Howell made a big impact in his lone season at South Carolina State, logging 664 yards rushing, 139 yards receiving and nine combined touchdowns. He was named first team All-MEAC and earned Rookie of the Year honors.

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DeAndre Jules, DL: Redshirt senior DeAndre Jules starting six games at Pittsburgh in 2023, finishing with 24 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The 6-3, 310-pound tackle was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2019.

Kyle Kennard, DE: Junior Kyle Kennard anchored the Georgia Tech pass rush in 2023 with 54 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and six sacks plus an interception and two forced fumbles. The 6-5, 238-pound lineman was a three-star prospect in the class of 2020.

Jayden McGowan, WR: Sophomore Jayden McGowan was Vanderbilt's No. 3 receiver in 2023, finishing with 383 yards on 36 catches plus 109 rushing yards. He is also a strong kick returner, averaging 24.3 yards per return on 19 attempts.

Rocket Sanders, RB: Junior Rocket Sanders is rated the No. 3 running back prospect in the transfer portal. He appeared in just six games in 2023 due to a lingering knee injury but had a breakout season in 2022, earning first-team All-SEC honors with 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns plus 271 receiving yards.

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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football transfer portal tracker: Who's coming, going