South Carolina Gamecocks Spring Football Commentary -

By Tim Cox from Cox Talking Gamecocks

Well y’all it’s that beautiful time of year again. You know, the awkward stage where spring football practice brings endless optimism and possibilities coupled with the inevitable worry about gaps in the roster, transfer portal losses, and just the general unknown. For the Gamecocks specifically, this spring feels especially precarious. Coming off the heels of a 5-7 season (a letdown to say the least) expectations are much more tempered than this time last year. However, at the same time, Shane Beamer can’t afford to miss a bowl game again, so the sense of urgency to improve production and depth across the board is there. As fans, all we can do is hope. Let me take you through my quick thoughts so far on where we stand with this team from the offensive and defensive perspectives.

Offense

The most exciting part of this new-look group has to be the running backs. The debacle last year left many fans wondering how the roster could be so out of whack with that group. Well, apparently Shane Beamer felt the same way and completely reloaded and turned over that room. Although Rocket Sanders is out this spring, and Juju is also banged up, this new group is probably the biggest reason to be excited about the offense. Oscar Adaway and Jawarn Howell both have big upsides (Howell too as a sophomore) and DJ Braswell is primed to take another step. At wide receiver, there’s a burning question of who is going to WR1. Seemingly, this staff has put their eggs in the Nyck Harbor basket and understandably so, but is he going to be ready to be that guy in just his second year in the program? We know the physical ability is there, but route running and catching more targets consistently could make you worry. I expect Josh Simon and Brady Hunt from the tight end room to have a much larger role in the passing game than some might expect. Shoutout Shawn Elliot. On the offensive line, I see an unproven group with a higher ceiling than Carolina has had for a while. A few veterans on the line could be back to their natural positions but the new faces in that group bring the raw talent and ability that South Carolina has not had in quite some time. You need to keep the quarterback upright, but at some point you have to let the youth learn from trial by fire.

And speaking of quarterback, this position is equal parts anticipation and trepidation. Don’t get me wrong, I love LaNorris Sellers. I see him as the type of quarterback South Carolina needs to have. He can run, he’s local, and can chuck it deep. Until the Gamecocks can consistently recruit (and retain) top 5 recruiting classes, this program needs to live with a dual-threat quarterback. However, in just his second year on the team, and only having played in three games with four passing attempts there are so many question marks about how this will shake out over a whole season. The likely truth is that there are going to be growing pains this season with Sellers. And that is OK, that is part of college football. At the same time, in a season where the team has to win now and after a season where Spencer Rattler threw himself into the USC record books, some of those mistakes are going to hurt. I say let him cook, let him grow, and let him lead this team. If given the time to make throws and reads, I think LaNorris could surprise a lot of people around the SEC.

Defense

I don’t think many people have embodied the Gamecock football experience quite like Clayton White. In his first year, fans were singing his praises. By the end of last year, people were ready to send him to the moon. Nevertheless, Beamer saw enough from the end of last year to bring White back once more to lead a defense that is set to improve. Seriously though, the 3-3-5 saved his job. The group that jumps off the page to me as (hopefully) improved is the D-line. Specifically, the EDGE group. Last year, those guys were incredibly thin and did the best they could with limited help. This year, the welcome addition of Kyle Kennard and the return of Gilber Edmond should prove invaluable to the guys that were already on campus. Oh, and let’s not forget the freak of nature freshman Dylan Stewart. The linebacking group is definitely interesting. Led by Debo Williams, I don’t expect much dropoff from last season but with the team relying on a pair of transfers to bring more speed and toughness to that room it does beg the question of whether they can acclimate to SEC football quickly. I’m also hopeful to see Bam Martin-Scott have a more prominent role (how can you not root for an LB named Bam?).

With the defensive backs there’s a lot to like and also some to worry about. I can’t say I’ve studied the safeties of other SEC teams but I would imagine there aren’t many with a deeper and more powerful room than the Gamecocks’. Nick Emmanwori is the heart and soul of that group and as long as he can start the year healthy, I expect him to have a monster year. There’s just so many guys in that group who are athletic enough to play multiple positions. At the cornerback spot, I have full faith in O’Donnell Fortune as CB1, but when it comes to who will take the number 2 spot that is where things get dicey. No matter who that ends up being, it’s going to be that guy’s first time doing that in the SEC on a full time basis. I believe in coach Gray to get these guys ready to play but early on in the year that is going to be a spot that opposing teams expose so this staff has to be ready to accommodate that. Hopefully our new-look EDGE group will force mistakes from opposing quarterbacks. All in all though, I see this defense as looking deeper and more experienced than they were a year ago. Especially if the Gamecocks can successfully deploy multiple looks every game, this group could sneakily carry the team.

So, as we sit here today, it still feels as though hope springs eternal yet again for the Gamecocks. For every reason I feel nervous about this team, I can convince myself it won’t be a big issue because another player or position group will just step up. For every tricky matchup on the schedule, I can (try) and convince myself that we are the trap game they fall into. It is a beautiful time of year and one where we really should lean into optimism. Because once the fall hits, we all know that everybody’s plans go out the window. I’m ready. Let’s spot the ball.