Gamecocks Football Positional Breakdown: Defensive Tackles

South Carolina is attempting to replace some key starters along the interior of its defensive line this fall. We break down the leaders of that room, which does include some new faces to the rotation.

The Holdovers

South Carolina brought in key transfers this offseason (more on them below), but are also set to return a couple pieces from last year's team. Head coach Shane Beamer brought fifth year tackle Nick Barrett to SEC media days, signaling the leadership value Barrett holds in the defensive tackle room.

Barrett appeared in five games in 2024, preserving a redshirt to return this season. He has played in 39 games over the past four seasons recording 30 tackles. Barrett will look to fill the leadership void left by Alex Huntley, Tonka Hemingway, and TJ Sanders.

Another returning contributor this fall is redshirt senior Monkell Goodwine. Goodwine joined the squad in 2024 after spending three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He played in all 13 games accounting for 15 tackles including 10 solo stops and 1.0 tackle for loss.

The Newbies

After losing Huntley, Sanders, and Hemingway to the NFL Draft, South Carolina hit the portal hard and came away with four defensive tackles to fill out the room. Former five -star Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy comes in with the most hype due to his status as a high school recruit from the 2022 class.

Brownlow-Dindy was a part of Texas A&M's historic 2022 recruiting class, that ultimately saw 20 of the 30 players transfer out of College Station. During his time there, he accounted for three total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack in his career. South Carolina will hope to turn him into the star lineman many thought he could be as a five-star.

Troy Pikes, Davonte Miles, and Jaylon Brown round out the group of transfers this offseason. The Gamecocks also added three-star Christian Ingram, three-star Caleb Williams, and four-star Zavion Hardy from the high school ranks.

South Carolina may not have a top end NFL prospect along the interior defensive line on paper this fall, but it is a room that is full of talent and capable of performing well enough. Developing that room could once again provide the Gamecocks with another menacing defensive line this season.