South Carolina Gamecocks: Post-spring stock report

JesseReSimonton

On3 image — The South Carolina Gamecocks exceeded their preseason win total in 2021 by five games. Can they make another big leap in 2022? (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

With spring football in the rear view mirror, it’s time to fully embrace the Head Ball Coach’s “talkin’ season.” The transfer portal carousel has slowed, so while rosters aren’t totally finalized just yet, we at least have a sense of strong foundation for each SEC program.

So let’s take a stock report for every team in the conference, examining their offense, defense and overall outlook heading into the 2022 season.

Today we look at the South Carolina Gamecocks.

OFFENSE — STOCK UP

I could simply link a column I wrote earlier this spring lauding Shane Beamer for hammering the transfer portal for offensive help, guaranteeing the Gamecocks’ sputtering offense to improve in 2022. But I won’t stop just there.

South Carolina massively exceeded expectations at year ago — a three-win preseason total projection — despite its frustrating offense. The Gamecocks were a SEC cellar-dweller in more than half a dozen offensive categories, including averaging just 22.6 points per game and 5.3 yards per play.

Oklahoma transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler is expected to immediately breathe life into a unit desperate for explosive playmaking talent, but the former 5-star didn’t arrive in Columbia alone. Beamer also recruited Oklahoma transfer tight Austin Stogner, as well as tailbacks Christian Beal-Smith of Wake Forest and Lovasea Carroll from Georgia. Talented James Madison transfer Antwane Wells should give Rattler a nice weapon on the perimeter, same for Arkansas State‘s Corey Rucker.

Rattler chose Carolina because of his relationship with Beamer, but also for the opportunity to showcase his array of skills in Marcus Satterfield’s multiple, pro-style scheme. The Gamecocks have a solid stable of tailbacks with Beal-Smith and Carroll competing for snaps with former 5-star Marshawn Lloyd and Juju McDowell, who flashed in the bowl win over North Carolina.

Carolina also returns its best two playmakers off last season’s team: Hybrid H-back Jaheim Bell and super senior Josh Vann, who Gamecocks fans hope finally can flourish paired with a quarterback who can throw the ball vertically. As previously discussed, hybrid quarterback/receiver Dak Joyner, the star of the Cocks’ bowl victory, is a wild card who could be used in a variety of ways this fall.

The one concern, and it’s a notable one, is South Carolina’s offensive line. Football is all about blocking and tackling, and there’s no conference that embodies that ethos like the SEC. Well, the Gamecocks return a deep pool of players with experience (nine guys with at least 100+ snaps, seven guys who started 6+ games last season) but how much does that matter if every guy graded out poorly in 2021?

As a unit, Carolina allowed way too many sacks for a team that didn’t want to throw the ball that often, only they couldn’t run the ball efficiently either.

Rattler & Co., guarantee that the South Carolina Gamecocks will be better offensively in 2022, but their ceiling will be determined by how a veteran offensive line improves.

DEFENSE — STOCK HOLDING

While Beamer went out and infused his offense with some potential instant impact players for 2022, he inherited a defensive roster last year with lots of former blue-chip talent. South Carolina was mostly ‘meh’ on defense in 2021, but the Gamecocks were really good at forcing takeaways, leading the SEC with 24 total.

They can’t simply rely on turnovers for stops again this fall though, so now it’s about getting most out of former top recruits like Zacch Pickens, Jordan Burch, Mohamed Kaba and others.

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The Gamecocks’ front-seven will definitely miss Kingsley Enagbare, who was one-man havoc machine in 2021, but Jordan Strachan and Burch both had strong springs and will look to improve upon Enagbare’s production. Carolina also added NC State defensive lineman Terrell Dawkins for another edge presence. They need it, too, as they return just 14 total sacks from last year’s defense.

Carolina has a pair of super-seniors back at linebacker, but they need Sherrod Greene and Brad Johnson to tackle with more consistency (both among the Top 10 in the SEC with 14 missed tackles, per PFF). Look for Kaba to push for one of these spots.

The starting secondary is solid, headlined by corner Cam Smith — an All-SEC performer capable of playing on the boundary or inside. Safeties Devonni Reed, a transfer from Central Michigan, Tyrese Ross and RJ Roderick will all fit into the mix, while Darius Rush and Marcellas Dial will battle for the corner spot opposite of Smith. However, depth is a real concern and an injury at corner or safety could detail the unit.

Heading into 2022, the focus for Carolina has to be shoring up a spotty run defense (12th in the SEC) and improving its overall havoc rate (near the bottom of the conference in tackles for loss, sacks and pressures). If that happens, and the team has good fortune with health, the defense could be one of the better units in the SEC.

2022 OVERALL OUTLOOK — STOCK UP

Shane Beamer has South Carolina fans giddy about the future. The Gamecocks weren’t supposed to win anywhere near seven games in 2021, so they’re already thinking big about this fall.

Is that wise?

Who cares.

If Rattler, who is the first 5-star quarterback to ever play for Carolina, simply replicates his 2020 season at Oklahoma (28 touchdowns to seven INTs, completing 67.5% of his passes at 9.6 per attempt) and the defense can get more consistent stops, then Carolina could compete for the No. 2 spot in the SEC East.

Obviously those are two big ‘if’s,’ but it’s certainly possible.

The likelier outcome in 2022 is Carolina simply repeats its seven-win season, but is a better, more complete overall team. The schedule is nasty with an early road game at Arkansas and then immediately hosting the defending national champions in Week 3. The Gamecocks must travel to Florida and Kentucky, two teams they’re looking to leapfrog in the SEC East pecking order, and also must play Texas A&M and Clemson.

There’s real reasons for optimism in Columbia, but this fall could be a prime example that not every program’s progress is linear.