South Carolina Football: Could there be a shakeup in the starting lineup?

South Carolina football is four practices into the start of fall camp, and Gamecock fans are paying close attention to personnel groupings as they try to piece together a depth chart in their minds.

It is commonplace in modern college football for coaches to be a bit stingy in what information they release publicly, and true depth charts are near the top of the list. Shane Beamer’s time in Columbia has been no expectation to this rule as the Gamecock headman has claimed to “never” release a real depth chart.

However, when certain parts of practice are open to the media, information leaks out.

In the first few days of practice, a change seems to be occurring in the starting lineup on the offensive line. Western Illinois transfer Sidney Fugar has been repping with the first-team offensive line at right tackle in place of projected starter Tyshawn Wannamaker.

Wannamaker has some experience at both guard and tackle in his career filling and has 11 career starts at right tackle filling in for injured starter Dylan Wonnum in 2021 and 2022. Fugar finished his career with the WIU Leathernecks as the starting left tackle before transferring.

Fugar is a massive man who appears to be even larger than his considerable measurements. Listed in the official South Carolina Football Media Guide at 6’5″ and 330 pounds, the redshirt sophomore is not the tallest lineman on the squad or the heaviest, but no one on the field looks bigger in pads than Fugar.

On tape, he has some impressive length that aids him in pass protection, and his solid base makes it hard for pass rushers to gain any ground if Fugar can get his big paws on them.

Fugar is a different type of tackle to Wannamaker who stands at just 6’2″ and 290 pounds. In an offense that appears poised to throw the football a lot, pass protection will be the emphasis for the tackles. Wannamaker has been a better run blocker than pass blocker in his career, and the fit seems better for a player like Fugar if he can play well.

You can watch some of Fugar’s high school film here.