When South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw announced on Sunday he was going to return to school for his senior season, it made the prospects of his entire position group coming back for the 2019 season very high.

The Gamecocks (7-5) didn’t perform particularly well on the defensive line this season but most of the players were young and were trending up over the course of the year. Bringing back Kinlaw provides a leader for the group as they look to elevate their play from 2018 to 2019.

“A veteran player, a guy who has really transformed his body coming from 340 a year ago down to where he is,” third-year head coach Will Muschamp said, when asked what Kinlaw returning means to the program. “Just being more consistent, pad level and continuing to build girth and strength. The guy is a worker, and he’s going to develop himself into what he wants to be.”

South Carolina had more than a dozen players on the defensive line at the start of the season with more than half of those being either freshmen or sophomores.

Kinlaw returned with experience, and so did Kobe Smith and Keir Thomas on the interior. At the end, D.J. Wonnum had a boatload of experience with Shameik Blackshear and Aaron Sterling having some as well.

Senior Bryson Allen-Williams, who will take his last snaps for the Gamecocks in the Belk Bowl, played the vast majority of his snaps along the line of scrimmage this season, due in part to the injury to Wonnum. The hope was to move Allen-Williams around a significant amount with snaps at the BUCK and SAM positions. Instead, there were times at BUCK and defensive end.

But apart from Allen-Williams and his part time role with his hand in the ground, the Gamecocks will bring back everyone on their defensive line, provided Wonnum decides to return and no one elects to transfer. And not only will the Gamecocks bring back a bunch of capable bodies, they’re adding some in the recruiting class.

Here’s a look at what the Gamecocks should return next season on the defensive line: