South Carolina puts fifth-year walk-on LB on scholarship
South Carolina redshirt senior linebacker Jamian Risher Jr. has been officially put on scholarship, the team announced on Wednesday night in a social media video.
“Year four is what he’s starting, but unlike year one, year two, and year three, he won’t be paying to come to Carolina,” head coach Shane Beamer said to Risher and his teammates after a workout in the video.
Risher, who has been with the Gamecocks since 2023 as a walk-on, is entering his fourth season with the program. He’s been at South Carolina since 2022, but in that first year, he was a student and not on the football team.
The following year, Risher made the team as a walk-on linebacker in the summer after participating in an on-campus tryout. He ended up becoming a regular on special teams and played in the final six games of the 2023 season.
- 1
⚾ State of the search
Chris Clark's Insider Report
- 2
Candidate Intel ⚾
Details on several candidates
- 3
Hot Board 1.0
Early names to watch
- 4
Depth chart debate
Chris, JC, and Wes
- 5Live
3 months for $1 🔥🔥
LIMITED TIME OFFER
Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Over the last two years, Risher has appeared in five total games and recorded his first career statistics in 2025 after four tackles, totaling two in each game in which he appeared.
Risher is a Varnville, South Carolina native, graduating from Wade Hampton High School in 2022. He was a four-year starter for the Red Devils and played multiple positions, including quarterback as a senior.
Risher played in the North-South All-Star Game, where he started at free safety. He was a first-team All-Region player in his sophomore and junior seasons and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019.