LSU football vs. South Carolina: Four players to know on the 2024 Gamecock roster

Through two weeks of the 2024 college football season, Sellers has thrown the ball just 37 times for 166 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while completing right around 54 percent of his passes.

While those numbers alone shouldn’t scare many opponents, he’s also added 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground thus far.

The LSU football defense should be able to slow down the Florence, SC, product with relative ease, but if the Tiger defensive backs happen to resort to last season’s mistakes, Sellers has a serious chance at making this a much closer game than most fans are anticipating.

2. Junior DB Nick Emmanwori

It’s not every day that LSU coach Brian Kelly gives a shoutout to an opposing player. With that said, in the case of South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori, this is exactly what happened earlier in the week while previewing the upcoming week three matchup.

“Really love [Nick] Emmanwori, the defensive back No. 7; very active, he was a freshman All-American in 2022.”

It was a short nod to the junior out of Irmo, SC, but it was one that Tiger fans likely should take note of heading into this matchup. Standing at 6-foot-3, 227 pounds, Emmanwori has some serious length that makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing pass catchers.

Additionally, with a willingness to lay the hit stick on opposing ball carriers, he’s not exactly the kind of defensive back you can simply rely upon breaking a tackle against.

Through two games, the veteran defender has recorded 12 total tackles to go along with two passes defended and an interception for a touchdown.

While the Tiger offense as a whole will need to bring their A-game to Columbia, SC, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in particular will need to keep an eye out for No. 7 in Garnet.

3. Senior RB Raheim Sanders

It wasn’t too long ago that Raheim “Rocket” Sanders was being viewed as one of the best running backs in all of college football.

Coming off a 2022 season with Arkansas in which he carried the ball 222 times for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns, he looked simply unstoppable as a sophomore, and was even a candidate to leave college early for the NFL after the 2023 season. At least, that was until an injury shortened his season in a major way, ultimately leading the 6-foot, 230-pound running back to a 209 yard, two touchdown total last year.

Following his rocky junior year, Sanders took to the transfer portal for a fresh start, and that’s what ultimately led him to Columbia with the Gamecocks of South Carolina.

While he hasn’t quite gotten back to his dominant self just yet, he’s at the very least shown flashes, and is well on his way to what could be the second best season totals of his entire college career. Through two games, the Rockledge, FL, product has recorded 37 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards per carry.

As we enter week three, the LSU football defense has plenty of unknown along their defensive line, which very well could mean trouble as far as stopping Sanders goes. Expect the Tigers to stack the box for the majority of Saturday’s matchup, as coach Brian Kelly searches for the next great LSU run stopper in 2024.

4. 5th-Year Senior EDGE Kyle Kennard

Speaking of defensive lines, this could end up being the spot that gives LSU the most trouble against the Gamecocks.

Currently ranking No. 3 nationally with 10 total sacks through two games, South Carolina is about as good as anyone in the entire country at getting to the quarterback, and it all starts with 5th-year edge rusher Kyle Kennard.

A transfer out of Georgia Tech, Kennard stands at 6-foot-5, 254 pounds and is filled with pure athleticism. Having already accounted for 3.5 of the Gamecock sacks thus far in 2024, he has a knack for putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and even scarier, he doesn’t struggle to finish the job.

Paired up with true freshman Dylan Stewart, the Gamecocks truly have one of, if not the best edge rusher duos in all of college football. In turn, the Tiger offensive line will need to be on top things from the get-go, and lucky for the purple and gold, this also happens to be possibly LSU’s biggest strength.

Coach Brian Kelly’s offense has yet to allow a single sack in 2024. While it’s unlikely this streak will continue heading into week four, stopping Kennard and the South Carolina defensive line should be priority number one if they want any chance of making it happen.

The purple and gold will take the field against the Gamecocks this Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. CST. The big-time SEC matchup will take place in Columbia, SC at Williams-Brice Stadium and will be available to watch live on ABC.