South Carolina’s Bam Martin-Scott explains what’s kept him limited in preseason camp

Through five practices of preseason camp, an expected contributor on South Carolina’s defense has been off to the side mostly working with trainers.

Linebacker Bam-Martin Scott is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, he told reporters on Wednesday, and has been “limited.”

“I was just trying to get some extra work in and I was running a little too much,” Martin-Scott said. “More than I should have been (running).”

But Martin-Scott didn’t seem too worried about the longevity of his absence, saying, “I’m gonna get back out there real soon.”

The sixth-year linebacker who transferred to South Carolina from Dodge City Community College ahead of the 2021 season didn’t see much action in the garnet and black until the last four games of 2023.

When defensive coordinator Clayton White began to use a 3-3-5 defensive scheme more often, Martin-Scott was one of the main beneficiaries. He’s best as an outside linebacker, best when he can rush from the outside with his 6-foot-2, 241-pound frame, and the 3-3-5 opened the door for him to prove that.

Martin-Scott played in 10 games last season. In the first six (before the prevalence of the 3-3-5), he recorded 12 tackles. In the final four contests (with more 3-3-5 packages), Martin-Scott tallied 32 stops.

The change was drastic. And with White on the record saying the Gamecocks will run a flex-nickel defense with more of the 3-3-5 scheme, Martin-Scott can’t help but smile.

“I think my role is gonna be very significant this year, not only in the 3-3-5, but in the 4-down (linemen) too,” he said with a grin. “I’ve just been coming along and being more in the playbook. And just developing more as a player.”

White agrees.

“His development, in regards of playing multiple positions in the second level, has grown a lot,” the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator said. “Just very proud of him with how he’s taken that by the head. He doesn’t just wanna be penciled as an outside linebacker.”

In football terms, the outside linebacker is the Sam, or strongside, linebacker. Martin-Scott is predominantly a Sam linebacker, but he has the ability to play every linebacker position.

With him dealing with the hamstring injury, the two other Gamecocks primarily working at Sam linebacker, White said, are redshirt sophomore Jaron Willis and true freshman Fred “JayR” Johnson.