South Carolina football: Offensive position battles to watch during fall camp

RB

Unlike the quarterback position, there are no familiar faces in the running back battle. The Gamecocks return two likely contributors in sophomores Kevin Harris and Deshaun Fenwick. Both have been productive when called upon, but together they’ve amassed just 64 carries for a total of 405 yards.

Fenwick received some praise from coordinator Mike Bobo before spring ball was shut down amid the Coronavirus pandemic. He’s recorded 100-yard performances in each of his two career starts. Harris broke onto the scene last season with a six carry, 147-yard outburst in his first career appearance against Charleston Southern. The bruising back finished the year with 179 yards and four touchdowns.

Trying to uproot those sophomores at the top of the depth chart will be newcomers MarShawn Lloyd, ZaQuandre White, and Rashad Amos. Lloyd and Amos enter their freshman seasons while White is a junior college product.

Lloyd is the highest rated of the three, leaving high school as the 4th best back in the nation, according to Rivals.com. Many around the program expect him to be the frontrunner in the race, despite his lack of collegiate experience.

Amos is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound load that possesses speed and power. He ran for more than 1,300 yards and 30 touchdowns as a high school senior in Georgia’s AAAA division. Rivals.com rated the incoming freshman as the 39th best back in the country.

White is the wildcard. After a productive season at Iowa Western, where he earned JUCO All-America honors, he becomes the oldest player in the Carolina running back room. The dynamic playmaker could make an impact at tailback, in the slot, and as a return man. Expect him to see the field a lot in his first season in Columbia.