Looking at South Carolina football’s most important senior contributors.
The South Carolina football season is right around the corner. New head coach Shane Beamer has wrapped up his first Spring with the team, and the focus can now turn to the season opener against Eastern Illinois in early September.
With the Gamecocks seeing a complete overhaul of the previous coaching staff, there’s a lot for the new staff to take in. Players that might not have seen the field in previous seasons could fit differently into new schemes. Others might retain their starting roles while honing in on areas for improvement. That can be said for every class, seniors included.
Earlier this week, we listed our top impact freshman for the 2021 season, taking our best stab at projecting which youngsters might see the field early. Now, we’ll focus on the senior class, as we lay out our predictions for top senior contributors on the South Carolina football roster.
Nick Muse
Muse is using his COVID year to earn an extra season of eligibility. He was South Carolina’s second-leading receiver in 2020, hauling in 30 receptions for 425 yards and a score. Muse will look to build on his relationship with signal caller Luke Doty, who targeted the tight end 16 times over the final two and a half games of the year. Those targets turned into 14 catches, 198 yards, and Muse’s two best single-game performances of the year.
Muse will be considered one of the top draft eligible tight ends, should he stay healthy. He’s athletic enough to find separation against linebackers, and physical enough to outduel defensive backs. Expect a big final season for the pass catcher in 2021.
Dylan Wonnum
Wonnum has been a stalwart on the offensive line since his freshman year. That season, he earned All-SEC honors, and has parlayed that into 24 career starts over the last three campaigns. The big man started each of last year’s 10 games, and led an offensive line that opened up holes for 1,000 yard rusher Kevin Harris.
The Gamecocks are expected to have a potent rushing attack again in 2021, and Wonnum will be integral in that success. With another solid season, he’ll join his brother, DJ, as an NFL Draft selection.
EJ Jenkins
Jenkins is a transfer from FCS program St Francis, but he’s coming to Columbia with big expectations. Standing at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, it’s not quite clear where he’ll line up next season. Many project him to play closer to the line of scrimmage in a tight end/wide receiver hybrid role, which could pose problems for opposing defenses.
At St Francis last year, the pass catcher was an all-conference selection, tallying 39 catches for 779 yards, while setting a school record with 13 touchdown receptions. He transferred to Columbia this offseason after it was announced that the Red Flash would postpone their season due to COVID.