GC LIVE: GG Jackson decommits from UNC + Previewing SEC Media Days

In this edition of Gamecock Central Live: Wes Mitchell and Kendall Smith discuss GG Jackson’s decommitment from North Carolina. Is the nation’s No. 1 prospect headed to South Carolina? Plus we dive into next week’s SEC Media Days.

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Spencer Rattler calls on Gamecock fans to ‘Be ready’

By Joe Macheca

Gamecock football opens the season against Georgia State on Sept. 3. Star quarterback transfer Spencer Rattler calls on fans to be prepared for something special.

In a Garnet Trust exclusive interview, Rattler caught up with GamecockCentral’s Kendall Smith.

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Rattler has been the talk of the town since committing back in December. The hype train continues to build as the season approaches. It is the most hype the fanbase has seen surrounding the program since the days of Steve Spurrier.

“Just be ready, we’re planning on turning Willy B up every home game and going to away games to compete hard,” Rattler said.

The fanbase seems to have expectations for the fall with all of the new roster additions. Yet, they do not feel too high. Nobody expects a national championship. What is expected, at the very least, is better than last year.

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In Shane Beamer’s first season as head coach, the Gamecocks went 7-6 in a rollercoaster year. The quarterback position was always a question week-to-week and the roster was always undergoing some kind of shake-up. Then again, it was well above expectations after the Muschamp era.

Leading up to this season, things feel different because they are. The team has a healthy quarterback room, a hoard of transfers, and a defense that is returning a bunch of starters.

“Expect all of us to go as hard as we can and give it our all, not just for the fans, but for each other, for the state, and for everybody that supports us,” Rattler says.

Rattler understands the expectations are high, but he has dealt with those since high school. He was featured in Netflix’s QB1 series that documents the life of highly touted high school quarterbacks. The hype followed him to Oklahoma and once more to South Carolina.

The Gamecocks are going to need fans to be loud and make Williams-Brice Stadium a true SEC home-field advantage. The Garnet and Black spring game saw 20,671 fans through the iffy weather during the big Gamecock weekend.

The momentum continues to build as football season is only 50 days away. The Gamecocks face the toughest tests early on in the season. Two of the first three games are against opponents that finished in the top 25 in both national polls.

Fans will not have to wait long to know how the team holds up against a legit opponent. The Gamecocks travel to Arkansas in week 2. Then they face the 2021 National Champion Georgia Bulldogs in Columbia. Regardless of what happens in Fayetteville, the game against Georgia will be a crucial one for the fanbase.

There is a good chance Georgia will be ranked No. 1 or 2 entering the game. In the last home game of 2021 against Clemson, the program saw the highest attendance in years that exceeded capacity by 2,338. It’s likely the Georgia game will see similar results.

The Gamecocks report back for summer practice on Aug. 5.

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