<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4G1yEK_0ueQSTdO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4G1yEK_0ueQSTdO00" width="1182" height="619" >When the 2024 season kicks off on Aug. 31 against <a href="https://247sports.com/college/old-dominion/">Old Dominion</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/">South Carolina</a> will be taking the field with a veteran defensive line which has multiple starters returning to Travian Robertson's room.On the interior of the defensive line, the Gamecocks return <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/tonka-hemingway-46041131/">Tonka Hemingway</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/tj-sanders-46100034/">T.J. Sanders</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/alex-huntley-46041916/">Alex Huntley</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/nick-barrett-46094389/">Nick Barrett</a> who combined for 119 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks. The Gamecocks also added two defensive linemen from the transfer portal in <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/deandre-jules-46037237/">Deandre Jules</a> from <a href="https://247sports.com/college/pittsburgh/">Pittsburgh</a> and <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/monkell-goodwine-46051877/">Monkell Goodwine</a> from Alabama.The Gamecocks' defensive line is one position group that has received some preseason praise as on Monday, ESPN college football analyst Cole Cubelic detailed how he believes Robertson's group is a <a href="https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/article/south-carolina-gamecocks-football-cole-cubelic-cube-show-defensive-line-2024-season-234108542/">top five defensive line in the league</a> heading into the season.Even though the defensive line has multiple starters returning, Robertson said each player will have to earn their playing time during preseason camp which gets underway in one week."I told them, no one is starting right now," Robertson said. "Everybody has to work and earn it. We can only put two on the field at a time. Sometimes we put three. Their job is to make it very hard for who I put on the field every week."Below, we will take a look at everything Robertson had to say in an interview with TheBigSpur on Thursday afternoon at Birdies with Beamer.On how excited he is for his room in 2024"I am super excited. I told the guys today, I am ready to fast forward to Thursday. I am excited not just because of all the hype, but because we have another year under my belt. I was able to go through spring with them. They were able to hear my techniques again. We were able to get closer. I am excited to see how we do after a whole year together."On having a veteran room"It's good. With the world that we are in now in college football, just to get those guys to come back. They are talented enough to go anywhere but they wanted to come here and help this team be better. I was very blessed that they didn't jump on the train that everyone else jumped on. Those guys wanted to be here. That made me feel good as a coach and it is only going to make me coach them harder because they want to be coached by me. I feel good. I am super excited to get all those guys back. Not just the guys that are coming back but the additions that we have with Jules and (Monkell Goodwine). Depth was very important to us. We already know what type of player Tonka is. We got to see what type of player that T.J. Sanders can be. Boogie has been playing for a long time. To have them come back and add some more talent. I am excited about it. I am very excited about it."On Tonka Hemingway"He is a hard worker. Tonka doesn't talk a lot. He is the first one in the building, last one to leave. He watches more film than anybody that I know. If I describe him, it would be a professional. He is going to play. He has the pedigree to play a long time. This year is going to be a great year for him, a special year for him because this is his last year. I am looking forward to seeing how he closes his college career out."On T.J. Sanders"T.J., my message to him was to learn to be a professional. You had flashes last year that can really tear this conference up. Just be a professional. T.J. has bought in. He has changed his body. Got bigger, stronger and he is hungry. T.J. has been focused and this is the best I have seen out of T.J. Sanders."On Deandre Jules"This is his last year, and he wants to make an impact. He feels he is an SEC defensive tackle, and he only has one year to show it. He is a big guy. He is one of the biggest guys that we have in our room. Not only is he big, but he can move really good. He has a lot of work to do. This is a totally different conference than what he had been used to. He has played in some SEC games. Right now, he is just learning my verbiage, my terminology and the technique that I am teaching."On Monkell Goodwine"Really, he didn't have much tape. I had a talk with <a href="https://247sports.com/coach/Freddie-Roach-1786">Freddie Roach</a>, his previous defensive line coach. I had a talk with <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/charlie-strong-567/">Charlie Strong</a>. I respect Charlie Strong. He told me a lot about the kid, and he believes he can still play in the SEC. … When Monkell started spring ball, I was actually able to verify what Charlie Strong was saying about him. I really like him. It was a one-day visit for him. I called him on the phone, and he was up here on a Friday, and he committed to us that day. Spring really was a time for us to get to know each other. I am just going to tell you, he is going to be a guy that that is not going to be under the radar for a long time. He is twitchy. He brings some stuff to the pass rush room, and he will attack you. Again, he has a lot of work to do with his technique and a lot of work to do learning out terminology. Once he gets that done, I think he has a bright future."On the message to his group heading into preseason camp"Today, I basically told them I am excited, and we are a mature group. We need to go out and show that we are a very mature group. We don't need to start slow. We need to take ownership and we need to be the best group of the field. Every practice that we go out there, we need to show up. I basically told them, everyone is looking at us because we have a lot of guys coming back. We hear the talk, but I don't care about the talk. I care about getting better and winning ball games. In order for us to do that, our guys have to be good up front. That was my message to them today actually before I came here."</div></body>

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Veteran D-line room has Robertson eager for 2024 season

When the 2024 season kicks off on Aug. 31 against Old Dominion, South Carolina will be taking the field with a veteran defensive line which has multiple starters returning to Travian Robertson's room. On the interior of the defensive line, the Gamecocks return Tonka Hemingway, T.J. Sanders, Alex Huntley and...

Veteran D-line room has Robertson eager for 2024 season

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