23 June 2021
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Five University of South Carolina football players earned spots on Phil Steele’s 2021 preseason All-SEC teams, it was announced Tuesday.
Defensive end Kingsley Enagbare led the Gamecock contingent with first-team honors, according to the national publication. Running back Kevin Harris and tight end Nick Muse were second-team selections, defensive tackle Zacch Pickens earned third-team honors while offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn was a fourth-team pick, according to Steele.
Enagbare, a 6-4, 260-pound senior from Atlanta, Ga., was also a first-team All-SEC selection a year ago. He led the Gamecocks with 6.0 sacks and with three forced fumbles in eight games. Not resting on those laurels, “JJ” was recognized as the 2021 Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring. The edge rusher owns 17.0 career tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.
Harris, a 5-10, 225-pound junior from Hinesville, Ga., earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2020 after leading the conference in rushing yards per game (113.8), while logging the fifth-best single-season rushing total in school history (1,138 yards). Despite playing in just 10 games, Harris notched the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history and the first since Mike Davis in 2013.
Muse, a 6-4, 249-pound “super” senior from Belmont, N.C., is the Gamecocks’ top returning receiver. The Carolina tight end caught 30 passes for 425 yards a season ago, and has 47 receptions for 583 yards in two years for the Garnet & Black after transferring from William & Mary.
Pickens, a 6-3, 305-pound junior from Anderson, S.C., came on strong last season, logging 35 tackles in 10 games along the defensive line. He has appeared in all 22 games over the past two seasons, making seven starts. He earned Freshman All-SEC and honorable mention Freshman All-America accolades in 2019.
Gwyn, a 6-2, 300-pound redshirt junior from Charlotte, N.C., has played in 23 games during his three-year Gamecock career, including a streak of 21-consecutive starts at right guard. A three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and considered one of the strongest players on the squad, Gwyn garnered the 2021 Gamecock Toughness Award for the offense, presented at the Garnet & Black Spring Game.
The Gamecocks, under new head coach Shane Beamer, will open the 2021 season in Columbia on Sept. 4 against Eastern Illinois University.