Transfer Drew Tuazama just arrived at USC. Expect him to play vs. UNC, Shane Beamer says

Edge rusher Drew Tuazama arrived at the University of South Carolina football facility Saturday and sat in on a team meeting in the same day.

“I’ll give the kid credit,” coach Shane Beamer told reporters at his press conference Tuesday. “... He literally got here late afternoon, got all of his paperwork done, did the stuff he needed to do in the training room. I was in my office, and I’m like, ‘Well, we got a team meeting in like five minutes. You want to go?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, come on.’ So he was in there in the team meeting. He was full speed ahead.

“He’s grateful for the opportunity to be here. He’s a great young man. And realistically, we expect him to play next Saturday night against North Carolina.”

Tuazama, a former UAB defensive end, committed to South Carolina as a graduate transfer over the weekend — just two weeks out from USC’s Sept. 2 season opener against North Carolina. He’s expected to play against the Tar Heels, though Beamer didn’t indicate how many snaps that might entail.

Beamer said Tuazama had a number of connections to USC’s program, including a familiarity with junior defensive lineman Elijah Davis. Both spent time at East Mississippi Community College. Being closer to home, which is Raleigh, North Carolina, could have been a factor as well.

Special teams coach Pete Lembo and others on staff who have experience recruiting in the Carolinas remembered Tuazama from his time at Knightdale (N.C.) High School, where he also played basketball.

Tuazama waited to leave UAB until he graduated in August so he would be immediately eligible after transferring. He had been trying to leave since April, he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Before South Carolina, Beamer said he believed Tuazama fielded offers from such SEC schools in Mississippi State and Florida, among others.

Tuazama has the potential to help fill the holes left in the Gamecocks defense by the transfers of Jordan Burch and Gilber Edmond. Burch, now at Oregon, recorded 60 tackles (32 solo and 7.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks and three pass deflections for USC last season. Edmond, now at Florida State, recorded 39 tackles (nine for loss) with two sacks and nine quarterback hurries.

USC now has seven scholarship defensive ends on its roster.

Tuazama — who has two years of eligibility remaining — had a program-high five sacks last season along with 33 tackles, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries in 13 games. He played an integral role in UAB’s defense, which gave up just 5.34 yards per play on average. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound edge rusher also played two seasons at Syracuse (2019-20) and one at East Mississippi Community College (2021).

“He’s very good,” edge rusher Bryan Thomas Jr. said of his new teammate. “It adds depth to our room, experience. He’s a much bigger guy, so it helps us to stop the run. He’s an older guy — he’s older than me — so I get to learn some stuff from him, too. And (it’s) just great to have him in the room.”