With a large group of transfer portal players and intriguing freshmen beginning their first fall camps with the South Carolina football team this week, Gamecock fans are excited to see some of the new faces take the field for the first time in just a month.
Arguably the most anticipated debut will come from the player most likely to share the backfield with redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers in the season opener.
Running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders transferred to the South Carolina football program this offseason after spending three years with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Back in 2022, he was an All-American and one of the best 'backs in the entire country, but 2023 saw injuries and a bad Arkansas team around him hamper his production.
The Gamecocks are counting on Sanders to be more like his 2022 self this fall, but they are not the only group that believes in the talented running back returning to form. Pro Football Focus' Mitch Kaiser recently wrote about five players who are real bounce-back candidates in 2024, and Sanders made the list.
Kaiser chose Sanders because, seemingly, health is the primary issue at hand for Rocket Sanders. If he is healthy, he is an elite talent who could be in line for a big year. Among the country's running backs, #5 is one of the best combinations of speed and power, so if he is feeling like himself, South Carolina can be confident that their ground attack will be much improved over their all-time worst output in 2023 (just 85 yards per game and 2.77 yards per game as a team).
The Gamecocks are expected to utilize a more run-focused offensive game plan this season thanks to the combination of mobile quarterback LaNorris Sellers taking over the starting job, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains' experience with Sanders (and a dual-threat quarterback in KJ Jefferson) at Arkansas, and new run game coordinator Shawn Elliott's past success working with the zone read.
While Sanders is the presumed starter and was included on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, he will not be asked to carry the burden alone in the USC backfield. Sellers will run the ball, and fellow transfers Oscar Adaway and Jawarn Howell have impressed this offseason. Senior scatback Juju McDowell and sophomore Djay Braswell, a former 4-star recruit, return, as well.