South Carolina football’s first season under head coach Shane Beamer is just a month away, with an opening week kickoff set for 7 PM at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 4th. The Gamecocks will take on Eastern Illinois in that opener, and they’ve got just four weeks left to prepare for the 2021 campaign.
Fall practice starts this month, and coaches are doing their final run throughs to see which position groups will be strengths and which will need to show marked improvements over the coming weeks.
All in all, the Gamecocks return around 57% of their production on offense, while losing a ton of contributors on the defensive side of the ball. The latest recruiting class and transfer portal additions will do their best to fill the voids, but there are certainly question marks.
There are strengths, too, though. Most notable is the return of Kevin Harris. He’s the SEC’s top returning rusher after averaging more than 113 yards per game last year. Also back are Nick Muse, who hauled in 30 receptions from his tight end position in 2020, as well as a strong offensive front.
Let’s take a look at where each position group stacks up in comparison to the rest of the roster, starting with the team’s most proven unit.
RB
South Carolina brings back 86% of its rushing production from last year, including SEC rushing champion Kevin Harris. Harris ran for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore, and could find himself in the conference’s Player of the Year conversation with another breakout season.
ZaQuandre White and Rashad Amos also return after combining for 158 yards on 34 carries. Both will factor into the rotation, and White could make a name for himself catching the ball out of the backfield, too.
Gamecock fans will soon get to see the long-awaited debut of five-star tailback MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd was competing for the starting role as a freshman before an offseason ACL tear ended his season before it started. Now, he’s back at full strength, and is looking to make an immediate impact.
This group enters the year at the top of the list, and it will likely finish there, too.