South Carolina football: ZaQuandre White is offense’s forgotten man

Who are people sleeping on that will impact South Carolina football?

South Carolina is entering year one of the Shane Beamer era, as the new head coach looks to guide the program back to relevance, and improve upon a two-win season in 2020. As the Gamecocks move closer to the start of the campaign, the coaching staff is still shuffling to find the best performers at each position.

On offense, players like Kevin Harris, MarShawn Lloyd, and Luke Doty will have all eyes on them, but there are a few forgotten players that will have major roles for the Gamecocks in 2021. Who on the roster will end up having a career season, even though nobody’s talking about them this offseason?

Our best guess is senior running back ZaQuandre White. The junior college product was one of the top recruits in the nation prior to committing to South Carolina, but his first season in Columbia didn’t go quite as planned. White struggled with ball security early in the year, and was then forced to play defense following the midseason departures of a slew of defensive backs.

White has the talent, earning JUCO All-America honors at Iowa Western and rushing for an average of 110 yards per game, it’s just a matter of being consistent in his transition to the SEC.

Why is no one talking about White?

White is part of the Gamecocks’ deepest offensive position group. Kevin Harris is getting all the publicity after his 1,100-yard, 15-touchdown sophomore season. Freshman phenom MarShawn Lloyd is looking to make his debut after suffering an ACL team last offseason, and has fans eager to see what he can do on the field.

While White did see some action last year, he only accumulated 55 yards on 18 total touches, and had a hard time hanging onto the football. He’s been overshadowed by Harris’s All-SEC campaign, as well as by the expectations that people have for Lloyd, a former five-star recruit. In what should be a talented South Carolina backfield, he’s seemingly become the odd-man-out, but we don’t think it will stay that way for long.

Why he will surprise in ’21.

White will surprise for a number of reasons. First, is a new opportunity with a new coaching staff. He’s been praised for leadership and positive attitude throughout the offseason, despite his appearing to be third on the running back depth chart.

He’s also taken advantage of his chances with Harris and Lloyd having been out recovering from injury all Spring. White landed the starting role in the backfield during South Carolina’s Garnet and Black game, producing a team-high 95 rushing yards.

White is also now able to focus completely on running the football. The ultimate team player, he ended up playing double duty over the Gamecocks’ final three games due to opt outs in the secondary. White, who played linebacker at Florida State for a season before entering junior college, made the switch to safety to add depth to the backend of the Gamecocks’ defense in 2021.

He’s now be able to get his attention back to offense, and he’s been taking measures to ensure that ball security won’t be an issue in his final season. Coaches say that White made the team a PowerPoint slideshow emphasizing the importance of hanging onto the football, as well as the proper ball carrying techniques that will be used to help him cut down on fumbles.

Finally, White may be the team’s best pass catcher out of the backfield. With South Carolina lacking proven playmakers at wideout, the transfer tailback could be used as an option in the slot. Coaches have described White as being “electric” with the ball in his hands. We’ll get an opportunity to see that big play ability often in 2021.