From the moment Clayton White arrived at the doorstep, he knew the player he was set to meet would be the one to help his defense greatly in 2024. <\/p>\n
On an in-home visit with a recruit, White walked inside the house with assistant coaches Travian Robertson, Sterling Lucas and Torrian Gray. This wasn\u2019t just some ordinary visit. Bringing the main core of the defensive staff meant this was serious business. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a statement that he\u2019s the kind of player we wanted and a lot of reasons why,\u201d said White, now in his fourth year as South Carolina\u2019s defensive coordinator. <\/p>\n
The player White visited was defensive end Kyle Kennard<\/a><\/strong>. At the time, Kennard was in the transfer portal and looking to find a new home for his final year of college football. And right in front of him, four of South Carolina\u2019s brightest defensive minds stood, with the desire to bring him aboard. <\/p>\n Even head coach Shane Beamer knew this was a player he would like to have his football team. As soon as he turned on his tape from Georgia Tech, he saw all the big plays, including the six sacks he recorded with the Yellow Jackets in 2023.<\/p>\n But there was much more than just the highlight-reel plays that caught Beamer\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember specifically watching Kyle play against Wake Forest last year,\u201d Beamer said, \u201cand just seeing the explosion, the twitch, the bend, the athleticism, the strength, all the stuff we are seeing right now. I remember seeing that and thinking this guy could be really, really great for us.\u201d<\/p>\n The feeling was mutual from Kennard\u2019s side. He felt the same way about the coaching staff as they did about him. And that\u2019s ultimately what made him decide to commit to South Carolina last December.<\/p>\n \u201cI really liked the coaching, like as far as the coaching staff,\u201d Kennard said in February. \u201cMainly my position coach, Coach Sterling Lucas, he was a big driving piece and the reason I decided to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Kennard has only been in Columbia for less than a year, his impact has been nothing short of remarkable. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been nothing short of a blessing,\u201d Kennard said.<\/p>\n Beamer knew he was getting a good player. But he didn\u2019t know Kennard would be as good as he\u2019s turned out to be.<\/p>\n It was already established from the start that Kennard was going to be a different type of player. He had always been a solid player at Georgia Tech, but he\u2019s been much better than anyone could\u2019ve ever imagined.<\/p>\n Two plays into his first game, he laid a big hit on Old Dominion quarterback Grant Wilson, forcing a fumble that would be recovered by the Gamecocks inside the five-yard line. He\u2019d finish that game with four tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Not bad for an introduction. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is not a flash, it is dominant every single Saturday,\u201d Beamer said. \u201c\u2026 He has really taken this opportunity that he has at South Carolina and has helped himself so much on and off the field.\u00a0And his best football is still in front of him.\u201d<\/p>\n This emphatic opening would be the first of many \u201cwow\u201d moments this season. Though there are still two weeks to go in the regular season, he\u2019s already put up next-level numbers with 25 tackles, a team-leading 10.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries. <\/p>\n [GamecockCentral: $1 for 7 days and 50% off first year]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Some may have not seen this type of season coming from him. But others did, like assistant defensive line coach Kevin Hubbard. He knew very quickly into Kennard\u2019s time as a Gamecock that something special was brewing. <\/p>\n \u201cWe saw him in workouts in January. We started spring ball; it was a very competitive spring for us as a team. We had a lot that we had to accomplish and prove from last year\u2019s season,\u201d Hubbard said. \u201cSo, he was one of the ones in spring practices that really had some shining moments. Those early on practices were full contact. That first scrimmage, he really came out and exploded and showed us that we really had something.\u201d<\/p>\n Just two games after his debut, Kennard faced his first true moment of adversity in Columbia. In a 36-33 loss to LSU, a game that many believe South Carolina should\u2019ve won, the officials flagged him for three penalties, with two of them taking touchdowns off the board. <\/p>\n Not every player would\u2019ve been able to do what Kennard did next. Just three days later, he stood up at a podium in front of reporters. He answered all questions about the game and his miscues in hopes of moving on. <\/p>\n While it was a tough time for him, he went about his business the right way. This is what his coaches and teammates saw in him since the beginning. <\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s the part that that he\u2019s rubbed off on our team in regards of how to be a professional every single day, how to come to work,\u201d White said. \u201cEvery day is not going to be a great day \u2014 it\u2019s not. But he did a great job of putting his foot down and working, with him and Coach Lucas trying to get better every single day. That\u2019s going to be the bigger impression that he leaves on our younger players.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, Kennard has done just about everything asked of him and so much more. He\u2019s been one of the main reasons why South Carolina\u2019s defense has been amongst the best in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat he\u2019s been able to do this year is incredible. I think that just a test to the whole defense because it\u2019s like he\u2019s been able to get one-on-ones and now they\u2019re trying to double team him,\u201d Debo Williams<\/a><\/strong> said. \u201cBut in the beginning of the year, he was able to get one-on-ones because you got to game plan a lot of people on our defense. He\u2019s just been taking advantage of all his opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n With the holiday season approaching, Kennard wanted to be able to show his appreciation and give back to the Columbia area. So, he hosted a food drive on Monday, where he handed out Thanksgiving turkeys to those in need.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re around Thanksgiving, so I thought it would be the best holiday spirit to give out things like turkeys and corn breads and things like that,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cWhat better way to celebrate than to give back to the community? So, I felt like that was the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Teaming up with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands to help with the event, Kennard walked into the gym at Bethel Hanberry Elementary School in Blythewood, where dozens of excited children eagerly awaited to meet one of their many heroes. <\/p>\n Many families from within the community lined up with reusable grocery bags to go around and collect canned goods and other side items from a row of tables. When each family received a turkey from Kennard himself, they were able to chat and take pictures with him. <\/p>\n \u201cSince I\u2019ve been here, I\u2019ve felt nothing but outward support on and off the field,\u201d Kennard said. \u201cEven during the games, they scream all of our names. Off the field, I\u2019m going to class, going out into the community to restaurants and barber shops that I talk to. I just felt it was in my best interest to give back to the community and do something like this for them.\u201d<\/p>\nA season for the ages<\/h2>\n
Giving back to the community<\/h2>\n