Three South Carolina Defenders to Watch in the Aflac Kickoff Game Against the Hokies 

Defensive coordinator Clayton White has revamped the Gamecocks defense, a much needed addition with the overall strength of SEC offenses. White, enters 2025 for his twenty-second coaching campaign, and fifth with South Carolina — a four-year stretch that leads the conference in turnovers (88).

Jalon Kilgore - Defensive Back

Defensive back Jalon Kilgore will look to shut down the Hokies all over the field. A true ball-hawking defensive back, Kilgore brought in five interceptions last season as a sophomore. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors from College Football Nation, while his interception count was good enough for joint-first in the conference.

Where Kilgore’s true depth shines is his ability to effortlessly form his game to be able to cover a multitude of positions at defensive back. While mainly covering in the nickel position, Kilgore has picked up many productive reps in at safety for White’s schemes, filling in behind DQ Smith, who will be highlighted later. Drones will have to keep watch not only on where Kilgore lines up each play, but try to figure out his responsibility if Drones wants to keep the offense moving.

Dylan Stewart - Edge Rusher

Dylan Stewart, as a true freshman in 2024, had an ability to absolutely wreck offensive lines. Behind the line of scrimmage, Stewart was able to pick up 10.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. His sack count ranked third among all freshmen, ending his season just 1.5 sacks shy of tying the all-time South Carolina freshman sack record, set by Jadeveon Clowney. 

In only his freshman campaign, Stewart was able to learn from one of the best edge rushers in the nation last season, Kyle Kennard, who was selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Look for Stewart to only grow upon his torrid freshman season, making an even larger impact being the lead edge rusher on the depth chart in 2025. 

The Hokies hired a new offensive line coach for the 2025 season: Matt Moore, who leaves West Virginia after six seasons. Moore will need to have his offensive line ready by Week 1 for a talented defensive line headlined by Stewart.

DQ Smith - Defensive Back 

As a four-year starting senior, Smith brings a plethora of experience with him to the field in his final season. Smith grew up and graduated from Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina. Every game since 2022 has seen Smith suit up and add valuable depth to the Gamecocks squad, which helped solidify his starting role early as a freshman.

Smith does not rack in a slew of interceptions for South Carolina every season, but that’s due in part to his excellent coverage skills. Smith can shut down and guard routes perfectly, eliminating the receiver out of the play completely, forcing the quarterback to throw elsewhere, or take off on his own. At 6-foot-1, Smith moves downfield quickly and can make some very impressive tackles, in his three seasons, Smith has popped out three fumbles from the safety position.

Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will have a tough test in his first game with the Hokies, but it will prove to gauge how his offense stacks up against a top-tier defense. Kickoff for the Aflac Kickoff Game is set for 3 p.m. EST in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.