South Carolina picks up honorable mention All-Big Ten tackle from transfer portal

Former Illinois Fighting Illini defensive tackle Tomiwa Durojaiye will be joining the South Carolina football program out of the transfer portal, he announced on Saturday.

Durojaiye considered South Carolina out of high school in the class of 2022 and made visits to Columbia. The Delaware native ultimately picked Kentucky, where he redshirted. He then played for a season each at West Virginia, Florida State, and Illinois.

Now listed at 6-5 and 300 pounds, Durojaiye was an important piece for the 2023 Mountaineers defense, and following a year of not seeing much action with the Seminoles, he was back in a prominent role this fall with the Illini, where he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.

Durojaiye registered 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble for the Illini. He also pressured opposing quarterbacks 18 times from the interior of the defensive line. He will bring both size and athleticism to a defensive tackle room that has played well the last two seasons.

Out of high school, Durojaiye was a three-star prospect as a combo defensive end/defensive tackle. He is again a three-star recruit in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Ranking but is underrated as the No. 75 defensive lineman in the portal. He will have one final year of eligibility with the Gamecocks.

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South Carolina quietly targeted Durojaiye relatively early in the transfer portal window. The Gamecocks and defensive line coach Travian Robertson made him a priority and were able to seal the deal. The new addition likely will play a prominent role for Carolina in 2026.

Durojaiye will join a USC defensive tackle room that lost both Nick Barrett and Monkell Goodwine to graduation and Zavion Hardy to the transfer portal. Redshirt seniors Gabe Brownlow-Dindy and Davonte Miles, redshirt junior Troy Pikes, and redshirt freshmen Caleb Williams and Christian Ingram also will return in 2026. Four-star prospects Aiden Harris and Noah Clark and transfer portal addition Jordan Thomas will join the team this offseason.

Durojaiye joins wide receiver Jayden Gibson (Oklahoma), defensive tackle Jordan Thomas (Georgia), center Carter Miller (UCF), offensive lineman Hank Purvis (Purdue), kicker Upton Bellenfant (Texas Tech), defensive back Quay’Sheed Scott (Kentucky), offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak (NC State), offensive lineman Emmanuel “Kojo” Poku (ECU), running back Sam Dixon (Ohio State), wide receiver Nitro Tuggle (Purdue), and offensive lineman Dayne Arnett as South Carolina’s transfer portal commitments.

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