South Carolina running back Ty’Son Williams enters transfer portal

The South Carolina Gamecocks got some surprising roster news on Tuesday, as veteran running back Ty’Son Williams put his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal.

Williams, who transferred to South Carolina out of North Carolina before the 2017 season, has graduated and could use his final year of eligibility elsewhere, although initiating the new transfer process doesn’t guarantee a player’s departure.

The Gamecocks’ third-leading rusher this season, Williams finished with 328 yards on 70 carries, and added 152 yards on nine catches.

Without Williams, South Carolina’s running back stable is comprised of usual starter Rico Dowdle, A.J. Turner (who had been moonlighting on defense due to injuries, but I assume will shift back to offense full-time), Mon Denson, Deshaun Fenwick, and Lavonte Valentine. While Dowdle, Turner, and Denson are plenty battle-tested, Fenwick has only seen mop-up duty against Chattanooga, and Valentine has been recovering from a torn ACL.

Personally, this news is a bummer for me. I thought Williams was possibly the most complete and talented back on South Carolina’s roster, and he always seemed to perform well in the opportunities he was given. I certainly understand his desire to look elsewhere, though, because South Carolina’s carries-by-committee approach really didn’t serve him well. While he did battle some injuries that kept him sidelined, there were entire games he never saw the field for reasons I couldn’t fathom. Should Williams go through with the transfer process, I wish him all the best at his next destination.