The Final Cockdown: #17, Chaz Elder

Chazz Elder

RS Junior
Strong Safety
6' 2" / 209 lbs
Union City, Ga

Recruitment

Four-star strong safety recruit out of high school; offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Purdue and Vanderbilt.

College Career

Elder redshirted in 2012. He was a solid participant the following year, seeing increased playing time over the course of the 2013 season and starting in the Gamecocks final five games. In 2014, Elder started at free safety for the opener against Texas A&M and had six tackles. He lost his starting job when the backfield was reshuffled immediately following that game, but continued to see regular and productive playing time throughout the year. Elder ended up playing in 12 games and recording starts against Missouri and Florida throughout the 2014 season.

2015 Outlook

While Elder is sure to play plenty of minutes in 2015, his position on the depth chart remains unclear. Throughout fall camp, Elder and recent KU transfer, Isaiah Johnson, will compete for a starting position. Regardless of that outcome, however, expect both players to see a lot of time in the backfield this year as part of a more mature and improved secondary over 2014's unit.

Trivia

Elder's high-school alma mater, Banneker High, has produced other standout Gamecocks defensive players in the past decade. Can you name one?