South Carolina Football Balance Sheet: Team in Black With Staff Changes, Key Returnees
By Jacob Elsey
There was a lot of movement on the offensive side of the ball, both on the coaching staff and at key skill positions.
OFFENSE – Black
QB
The Gamecocks should be better here, as they lose very little in the quarterback room. Gone is former starter Jake Bentley, after deciding to transfer to Utah for his final season. Bentley had some great moments in Columbia over his career, but the Gamecocks were without him for all but one game last year, a 24-20 loss to North Carolina, so losing him is a wash.
Returning is incumbent starter Ryan Hilinski, with a full year of experience under his belt. He threw for over 2,300 yards and 11 touchdowns a season ago. Freshman Luke Doty and graduate transfer Collin Hill come in to provide depth. Hill also brings in leadership and familiarity with coach Bobo’s offensive system.
Final assessment: Expect Hilinski to improve after showing flashes last season, and look for Hill to push Hilinski and provide a solid No. 2 option. – BETTER
RB
South Carolina loses its top three rushers from last season and have a running back room that’s full of inexperience. Returning are Kevin Harris (179 yards, 4 TDs) and Deshaun Fenwick (226 yards, 1 TD). Incoming are five-star talent MarShawn Lloyd, JUCO product Zaquandre White, and Rashad Amos.
Lloyd is the best running back prospect to come to Columbia since Marcus Lattimore, and will certainly compete for an opening day start. White is a junior college All-American after running for 109 ypg at Iowa Western. Amos ran for over 1,000 yards as a high school senior. There’s no shortage of talent, but it’s unproven.
It’s definitely going to be hard to match the production of Rico Dowdle, Tavien Feaster, and Mon Denson. Those three ran for a combined 1,402 yards last season, and nearly 5,000 yards over their respective careers.
Final assessment: It’s impossible to know whether a group of underclassmen can replace the production of three seniors. The running back room may be more talented over time, but for now, we’ll assume that the losses will be hard to overcome. – WORSE
WR
The wide receiver position is much like running back. The Gamecocks lose senior and all-time leading receiver Bryan Edwards to the NFL. He racked up over 3,000 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in his time in Columbia.
The offense has plenty of options to replace Edwards, although it may not be a one-man job. Returning are senior Shi Smith (489 yards, 2 TDs), sophomore Xavier Legette (80 yards, 1 TD), and juniors Josh Vann (171 yards, 0 TDs) and Chad Terrell (56 yards, 0 TDs). Smith looks to be the clear-cut No. 1 option. Legette and Vann both earned starts at one point or another last year.
The receiver group also has a ton of new faces. First, the players returning from injury. Those are OrTre Smith and Randrecous Davis. Both have made starts over their Gamecock careers, but neither has made a real impact since the ’17 season. Tyquan Johnson returns after redshirting last year. He’s yet to play a down at the collegiate level. And finally, Dakereon Joyner returns to the wide receiver room after spending the majority of the ’19 season with the quarterbacks. He caught six passes a year ago before being forced back into his role as signal caller.
Then, there are a trio of four-star recruits stepping foot on campus for the first time in Mike Wyman, Rico Powers, and Ger-Cari Caldwell. All three can make an early impact if they can get the playbook down.
Final assessment: It will be impossible to replace the production of Edwards, especially with so much inexperience in the wide receiver room. The position was thin last year, which seems to have been remedied, but it’s hard to even project who will take over as the No. 2 option. For that reason, it’s difficult to see the wide receiver position being better next season. – WORSE
TE
The Gamecocks have done a nice job of stockpiling talent at the tight end position. It may be the most talented room on the offense. Gone is Kyle Markway, who skipped his final season of eligibility in lieu of the NFL. He hauled in 31 catches for 349 yards last year, good for third on the team. He will be missed as both a pass catcher and run blocker.
But returning are Nick Muse and Will Register, as well as a trio of freshmen that took a redshirt last year. Muse looks to be the No. 1 option after recovering from offseason knee surgery. He had some issues with drops last year, but his athleticism is off the charts. He caught 17 passes for 158 yards before getting injured. Register has yet to make a real impact.
KeShawn Toney, Keveon Mullins, and Traevon Kenyon all have a chance to make a huge impact after sitting out last season. Each were huge “gets” on the recruiting trail following productive high school careers.
Speaking of recruits, the Gamecocks added a pair of four-star prospects that project to play at tight end. Jaheim Bell of Georgia and Eric Shaw of Alabama both were listed among the top 400 players in the country according to 247Sports. They’ll also be in the mix for early playing time.
Final assessment: The loss of Markway shouldn’t hurt the Gamecocks too much. Look for offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to create mismatches with this athletic group. – BETTER
OL
South Carolina returns nearly everyone from last year’s offensive line. Sadarius Hutcherson and Dylan Wonnum are both back, and will be NFL draft picks down the road. Jovaughn Gwyn, Jordan Rhodes, Jakai Moore, Jaylen Nichols, Hank Manos, and Eric Douglas return after making starts last season.
The Gamecocks bring in Tyshawn Wannamaker, Trai Jones, Vershon Lee, and JUCO All-American Jazston Turnetine. Turnetine, in particular, has a chance to make an instant impact as he looks to grab a starting job along the front five.
South Carolina did lose multi-year starter Donell Stanley, but there is plenty of depth and experience to fill the void.
Final assessment: The Gamecocks have a ton of big bodies on the offensive line, and lose just a single starter from a year ago. They’ll be better in the trenches next season, which will hopefully help out a running game that brings in a lot of new faces. – BETTER
COACHING
This is the area that could have the largest effect on whether South Carolina fields an offense that can successfully move the ball against opponents or if they’ll revert back to the group that’s only scored one touchdown in its last 12 quarters of play.
The offensive staff has new faces at coordinator, running back, and wide receiver. Bryan McClendon is gone as play-caller after the Gamecocks finished 104th in the country in scoring a season ago. In comes Mike Bobo, who’s led dynamic offenses at both Georgia and Colorado State.
In Athens, he oversaw the development of quarterbacks David Greene, Matt Stafford, and Aaron Murray. In his last two seasons in Fort Collins, his Rams offenses finished in the top 15 nationally in passing, averaging over 300 yards per game through the air. This hopefully bodes well for Ryan Hilinski’s progression under center.
In the running back room, the Gamecocks lose coach Thomas Brown after just one season. He’s off to the NFL as a part of the Los Angeles Rams’ staff. He’s coached some greats in his career including Melvin Gordon and Sony Michel.
Will Muschamp brings in Des Kitchings from NC State to fill the void. Between ’16-’18, the Wolfpack saw three different players eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. South Carolina hasn’t seen a back do this since Mike Davis in ’13. It will be interesting to see how he handles an inexperienced Gamecock backfield.
And finally, the wide receiver room. Bryan McClendon, as mentioned before, is gone. He oversaw the receivers in addition to his duties as offensive coordinator. In comes, Joe Cox, who follows Mike Bobo from Colorado State.
With the Rams, Cox coached both receivers and tight ends in an offense that put up some prolific passing numbers. Last year, junior Warren Jackson was fourth in the NCAA, averaging 111.9 receiving yards per game. Another pass catcher, freshman Dante Wright, eclipsed the 800-yard mark, and Rams tight end, sophomore Trey McBride, earned first-team all-conference honors.
Final assessment: The addition of these coaches, in particular Bobo, should have a major impact on the Gamecock offense. – BETTER