Ernest Jones #53 of the South Carolina Gamecocks. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
A defender on the South Carolina football team is playing at an all-conference level.
Coming into the year, little was heard of junior linebacker Ernest Jones, who mans the middle of the South Carolina defense. Most preseason fanfare was given to Alabama’s Dylan Moses, Georgia’s Monty Rice, and Tennessee’s Henry To’o To’o in regards to the linebacker position.
But through three weeks, only Jones sits inside the top 10 SEC players in tackles, as he’s tallied 29 takedowns, a sack, and a fumble recovery.