South Carolina football: projected starting lineup following Spring practice

South Carolina football is in need of difference makers this season.

South Carolina football just wrapped up its first Spring practice season under new head coach Shane Beamer, meaning the 2021 campaign is less than four months away. The Gamecocks will kick things off in the opener versus Eastern Illinois with hopes of improving on a 2-8 record from a year ago.

The roster saw a ton of turnover this offseason, with the team losing nearly all of its production from last year’s defense, as well as the starting quarterback and top receiving threat. Off to the NFL are corners Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu, leading tackler Ernest Jones, and top wideout Shi Smith. Transferring out of the program are defensive backs Jammie Robinson, Shilo Sanders, and John Dixon, quarterback Ryan Hilinski, and end Keir Thomas. Beamer and Co. will have to find ways to replace that production as we move closer to the Fall.

While things didn’t go according to plan last season, it doesn’t mean the pieces aren’t in place for improvement. Coach Beamer brought in a ton of new faces in an attempt to fill those voids, a number of which will be asked to contribute early and often. There’s also talent coming back from last year’s roster, most notably, the conference’s leading returning rusher, Kevin Harris.

The South Carolina football lineup is sure to be a bit different in 2021, particularly with the incoming transfers on defense, and the new coaching staff is doing its best to put its top playmakers on the field. Let’s project what the starting lineup will look like when that September 4th matchup with Eastern Illinois comes around.