SEC Kickoff Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina finished third in the East after posting an 8-4 regular season record in 2022. The Gamecocks fell to 8-5 after falling to Notre Dame 45-38 in the Gator Bowl.

Shane Beamer is entering his third season in Columbia. He has a 15-11 record in Columbia. Beamer has recruited well and pulled off multiple upset wins. His squad knocked off Tennessee and Clemson late last fall. With a strong end of the season, some project the 2023 Gamecocks to compete for an East title.

Beamer has his fan base excited. A large amount of money is being spent on the football program. Ticket sales are maxed out. Momentum is positively swinging in Beamer’s favor in Columbia. The passionate head coach can also work a room by glad-handing supporters. At times, he tries a little hard to be a social media innovator but I get it. He’s trying to bring attention to his program.

Spencer Rattler returns to quarterback the offense. He’ll have a new offensive coordinator. The Gamecocks experienced a mid to late-season offensive resurgence by scoring a bunch of points down the stretch. Can the Carolina offense sustain that momentum? We’ll see. Rattler will have one of the top pass catchers in the SEC at his disposal. Antwane Wells Jr. is a dynamic playmaker.

Rumblings at SEC Media Days indicate that USC’s offensive line may be up for some struggles this fall. Protecting Rattler is a priority. So is improving a run game that produced 119 yards per outing.

The defense should be stout. The Gamecock defense matched their offense’s late-season surge by allowing 24 points per outing down the stretch. Let’s get into it.

OFFENSE

New offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains was previously the TE coach for Sam Pittman at Arkansas. Loggains spent 16 years in the NFL primarily as a quarterback coach. Managing and developing Spencer Rattler will be a priority.

USC averaged 32 points and 378 yards per game in 2022. The offense converted 39% on third down. The run/pass breakdown heavily favored the throwing game after averaging 260-passing and 119-rushing yards per contest. As discussed earlier, the South Carolina offense was much more powerful towards the end of the season than it was to begin the year. A philosophy alteration, Rattler’s confidence, and Wells’ rise were leading factors.

TE Trey Knox joins OC Dowell Loggains from Arkansas. Knox will provide Rattler with another option in the passing game. The graduate student started 12 games for the Hogs in 2022. He caught 26 passes for 259 yards and scored five receiving touchdowns.

Best Offensive Player: Antwane Wells Jr.

Antwane Wells Jr. earned All-SEC honors after catching 68 passes for 928 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 2022. Wells Jr. has garnered Preseason All-SEC honors by On3. The WR started his career at James Madison prior to transferring to South Carolina.

Most Important Offensive Player: Spencer Rattler

Spencer Rattler has been really good. Spencer Rattler has also been really bad. Somewhere in between lies consistency. Rattler is a veteran with a lot of snaps in important football games. He’s gone 23-7 as a starter throughout his career at Oklahoma and South Carolina.

Rattler completed 625 passes out of 914 attempts for 7621 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions in his three-year career. Again, that’s a whole lot of snaps under center when it mattered. Rattler was named 2^nd Team Preseason All-SEC by PFF.

DEFENSE

Coordinator Clayton Wells is in year three at South Carolina. His unit improved down the stretch by allowing 24 points per game at the season’s end. USC gave up 29 points and 404 yards per contest last season. His unit also recorded 20 quarterback sacks. Tackles for loss is a stat line that requires improvement after posting just 57 in 2022. That total ranked 13^th in the SEC.

Jordan Strachan is a rare second-year super senior. The defensive end started the season’s first two games before suffering a season-ending injury last season. Linebacker Mohamed Kaba was also lost for the season after an early injury. He posted 32 stops in 2021. Wells will call upon both and Kaba to provide veteran leadership and overwatch for his defense.

True freshman safety DQ Smith started 11 games for the Gamecocks at nickel and safety in 2022. Smith was credited with 54 tackles including 40 of the solo variety. He also had a tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, 2 QB hurries, and a forced fumble. He and Nick Emmanwori will be formidable in year two.

Shane Beamer has recruited extremely well on the defensive side of the football. Two of last season’s most impactful players were hometown true freshmen. He’s also embraced the transfer portal in order to add personnel to match depth chart needs.

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Best Defensive Player: Nick Emmanwori

True freshman safety Emmanwori entered the 2022 season in a backup role. That ended in the first series of the season when starter R.J. Roderick suffered an injury. Emmanwori filled in and never looked back. He went on to start the next 12 games. The 6’4, 220-pound defensive back recorded 85 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. He was named Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC for his efforts. The tall safety has coverage range and surprising pop vs. the run.

Most Important Defensive Player: Tonka Hemingway

Tonka Hemingway was named Preseason 2^nd Team All-SEC. The 6’3, 290-pound senior defensive lineman registered 33 stops, 8 tackles for loss, and 4 quarterback sacks in 2022.

Schedule Preview

South Carolina opens with North Carolina in Charlotte on September 2. The Gamecocks will face all-world QB Drake May right out of the gate. Other non-conference foes include Furman, Jacksonville State, and arch-rival Clemson.

Home SEC contests feature games against Mississippi State, Florida, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. League road trips are at Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Texas A&M.

2023 Projection: SEC East – 4

What Does All This Mean?

I give Carolina a hard time, but it’s all in good fun. My jest is based on the overabundance of preseason praise that normally accompanies the Gamecock football program at Media Days. But, reality states that I have to give Shane Beamer a great deal of credit. He’s motivated that fan base and has energetically taken on the challenge of building an SEC East contender at a non-traditional outpost.

We covered the offense and defense above. But, Beamer’s teams have been absolutely excellent in the third phase. A committed focus on special teams is similar to what his dad did at Virginia Tech.

Spencer Rattler has flashed. He’s also faltered. New OC Dowell Loggains will be tasked to stabilize the unsteady signal caller into becoming a more consistent quarterback on a week-in and week-out basis. Antwane Wells Jr. is dynamic. The WR may even be better in 2023 than he was a year ago when he earned All-SEC honors.

The South Carolina defense doesn’t have a high number of recognizable names or preseason all-conference-type players. Steadiness at coordinator helps with uniformity on that side of the football.

South Carolina’s schedule is challenging. I’ve seen seasonal projections range from second to fifth in the East. A great deal hinges on the opener against UNC, Rattler’s consistency, an improved run game, and the ability to steal one as a road underdog.

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