Five lingering South Carolina depth chart questions for Year 3 under Shane Beamer
Football season has arrived.
The Gamecocks’ players reported to Columbia this week, and preseason camp begins Friday morning. With the regular-season opener against North Carolina less than a month out, there are still a few questions to be answered.
Here are few of the lingering depth-chart battles to watch over the coming weeks:
Who is South Carolina’s starting running back?
If there’s one question that’s lingered all offseason, it’s the running back situation.
South Carolina had just two scholarship running backs on the roster during the spring in Juju McDowell and Newberry transfer Mario Anderson. Do-it-all offensive weapon Dakereon Joyner, too, has shifted to tailback to help the depth issues. The Gamecocks also added four-star freshman Djay Braswell this summer.
So who’s going to shoulder the load? We’ll see.
McDowell has the tools, but his size at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds makes it unlikely he can handle the full load. Anderson figures to be in the mix after a prolific career at the Division II level, where he was a finalist for the Harlon Hill trophy last year. How quickly he can get up to speed remains to be seen.
Finally, Joyner is the most intriguing of the bunch. He’s got the athleticism to play just about anywhere on the offensive side of the ball and has shown an electric ability with the ball in his hands in spurts over his five years in Columbia. How well can he transition to running back? We’ll see.
Who emerges behind Antwane ‘Juice’ Wells at receiver?
Antwane Wells will be the undisputed No. 1 receiver in 2023. What happens behind him is a bit of a mystery.
Xavier Legette has shown bits and pieces of being able to stretch defense — see his wild one-handed touchdown grab in the Gator Bowl for evidence of his ability. That said, Legette has been plagued by drop issues throughout his career. Perhaps one final year will see things come together.
The Gamecocks should also expect production from speedster Ahmarean Brown, who hasn’t made much of an impact since transferring in from Georgia Tech two years ago. Brown hasn’t recorded more than 11 passes in a season since arriving in Columbia, though he has the speed out of the slot to make a difference.
South Carolina also has a slew of youngsters who should get some playing time. Rock Hill product Elijah Caldwell has turned heads in his short time at USC. Caldwell, second-year receiver Landon Samson and the freshman pair of Kelton Henderson and CJ Adams should have chances.
The other big names to circle include five-star freshman Nyck Harbor, who’s transitioning from tight end/defensive end to receiver, and Memphis transfer Eddie Lewis.
Spencer Rattler is QB1. There’s a battle for the No. 2 spot
Spencer Rattler will be the lead man under center in 2023. Behind him, though, there’s a battle that could portend what happens whenever Rattler does leave for the NFL.
Luke Doty should be penciled in as the No. 2 guy for the time being. He’s been in the program for almost five years and has seen just about everything in that span. Doty was the projected starter entering 2021 before a foot injury in preseason sidelined him and eventually ended his campaign. How different does the South Carolina quarterback room look right now had he not been hurt? Tough to say, but it’s a sliding door.
Freshman LaNorris Sellers and second-year signal-caller Tanner Bailey should also get their shots. Sellers has received as much praise as anyone during the offseason and there’s belief inside the program he’s going to be a bonafide star. Bailey, too, has some star potential and was a big-time late addition for South Carolina during the 2022 recruiting cycle.
What will the Gamecocks do at defensive end?
If running back is the biggest offseason question mark, defensive end is a close second.
The Gamecocks lost starters Jordan Burch (Oregon) and Gilber Edmond (Florida State) to the transfer portal before the end of the 2022 season. That leaves seventh-year senior Jordan Strachan, who’s coming off a torn ACL and might be limited to start camp, and a host of unproven names.
Syracuse transfer Jatius Geer figures to be the leader in the clubhouse for the other starting defensive end position. He shined in his two years with the Orange, notching 34 career tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a PAT block over 14 appearances. South Carolina could desperately use that kind of production.
Outside of Geer, sixth-year senior Tyreek Johnson, ex-N.C. State transfer Terrell Dawkins, four-star freshman Desmond Umeozulu and second-year edge Bryan Thomas should also factor into the rotation whenever they’re deemed ready to handle a bigger role. Johnson, in particular, should push for a starting role, while Dawkins has some upside assuming he’s healthy.
The other possible surprises here could be defensive tackles Tonka Hemingway and Elijah Davis. Hemingway is South Carolina’s most complete player on the front seven and spent some time at defensive end in 2022. Davis, like Hemingway, showed an ability to play the position as he did in the Garnet and Black spring game.
What linebacker combination does South Carolina settle on?
The Gamecocks will replace 12 years of college football experience between the departed Sherrod Greene and Brad Johnson. That leaves a hole, but one USC feels ready to fill.
Debo Williams should be a starter this fall after being one of the first guys off the bench the past two seasons. Mo Kaba, too, should likely fall into a starting role, though he’s coming off an ACL tear and could be semi-limited to start camp.
The others in the mix here are sophomore Stone Blanton and freshman Grayson “Pup” Howard. Blanton showed flashes on special teams last year and figures to have a role there at the very least. Howard has received ample praise since arriving on campus for bowl practices. He should be a stalwart at the position for the next few years, if not this fall.
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Five lingering South Carolina depth chart questions for Year 3 under Shane Beamer."
