South Carolina defensive PFF grades through five games
South Carolina enters a bit of a reprieve over the next few days.
The Gamecocks are fresh off a 40-point Thursday night win over South Carolina State and have eight days before heading to Kentucky for a night game.
With some downtime, it’s a good chance to look at how the offensive players are performing while using Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades.
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Bam Martin-Scott is the highest-graded South Carolina defender currently, checking in at 91.1 overall through 43 total snaps.
He’s got four stops in the run game and hasn’t allowed a reception in four targets. Scott also has an interception, which came against South Carolina State, and a pass breakup.
In five pass rush snaps he’s generated two pressures and a quarterback hit.
Tyreek Johnson is the second-highest graded defender with a 74.2 overall grade at the EDGE position.
The Gamecocks’ defensive end has generated five pressures and four quarterback hurries in 104 snaps (48 pass rush) and has five stops in the run game.
Both are reserve players but, with injuries in the linebacker and EDGE rooms, each could see an increase in snaps moving forward.
Debo Williams, also a linebacker who could play more, is the third highest graded at 72.9 in 124 snaps this year. He’s had three pressures with nine stops in the run game so far this season for South Carolina.
He’s been targeted three times in the pass game, allowing two receptions for six yards. Quarterbacks have a 70.1 rating when targeting his receiver. Most of his snaps (118) have come in the box with four on the defensive line and two in the slot.
Three starters check in inside the top of the list, the highest graded being freshman Nick Emmanwori at safety.
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He’s played a whopping 301 snaps, most on the defense, with a 71 overall grade and the highest run defense and tackling grades on the defense.
South Carolina’s starting safety has 10 stops in the run game and has only missed two tackles this season. He’s been targeted seven times in the pass game, allowing five receptions for 48 yards and 10 yards after the catch.
His two incomplete passes against have both been pass breakups.
Zacch Pickens checks in with a 69.4 overall grade with eight stops in the run game and two missed tackles in 237 snaps. He’s generated six pressures already this year from the interior of South Carolina’s defensive line.
Cam Smith is the third highest-rated starter on the defense with a 68.5 overall grade in 192 snaps. The Gamecocks’ corner has allowed just six receptions for 38 yards on 13 targets.
Quarterbacks have just a 21 NFL passer rating when targeting his receiver. Of his 192 snaps, nearly all have come at the corner position (132). He’s played 49 in the slot.
Here’s a full list of South Carolina’s defensive PFF grades.
| Player | Snaps | Grade |
| Bam Martin-Scott | 43 | 91.1 |
| Tyreek Johnson | 104 | 74.2 |
| Debo Williams | 124 | 72.9 |
| David Spaulding | 25 | 71.8 |
| Nick Emmanwori | 301 | 71 |
| D’Andre Martin | 15 | 70.4 |
| Zacch Pickens | 237 | 69.4 |
| Cam Smith | 192 | 68.5 |
| Darryle Ware | 9 | 68 |
| Darius Rush | 172 | 66.6 |
| Joey Hunter | 19 | 66.5 |
| Emory Floyd | 10 | 66 |
| Bryan Thomas | 55 | 64.7 |
| King-Demenian Ford | 17 | 64.1 |
| Tonka Hemingway | 127 | 63.9 |
| Gilber Edmond | 185 | 63.6 |
| Isaiah Norris | 7 | 62.8 |
| Jordan Burch | 239 | 62.8 |
| Joseph Byrnes | 4 | 62.3 |
| Brad Johnson | 220 | 62.2 |
| Peyton Williams | 3 | 61.6 |
| Tyrese Ross | 6 | 61.4 |
| Mo Kaba | 81 | 61.3 |
| Stone Blanton | 59 | 60.9 |
| Landon Grier | 4 | 60.7 |
| Hot Rod Fitten | 7 | 60.6 |
| Marcellas Dial | 287 | 60.3 |
| Keenan Nelson | 3 | 60 |
| Jordan Strachan | 94 | 60 |
| Nick Barrett | 78 | 59.5 |
| DQ Smith | 198 | 56.8 |
| MJ Webb | 131 | 56.1 |
| Alex Huntley | 90 | 54.9 |
| Andrew Colasurdo | 1 | 51.7 |
| BJ Gibson | 32 | 49.7 |
| O’Donnell Fortune | 119 | 49.3 |
| RJ Roderick | 77 | 48.4 |
| Sherrod Greene | 166 | 48 |
| Devonni Reed | 236 | 48 |
| TJ Sanders | 76 | 45.4 |
| Kajuan Banks | 61 | 43.4 |
| Terrell Dawkins | 29 | 39.5 |
| Donovan Westmoreland | 18 | 32.9 |
