Marcus Satterfield updates South Carolina's right tackle competition
Most of South Carolina’s offensive starters are becoming clearer as kickoff approaches.
But, with the second scrimmage looming Saturday night, offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said there’s no real favorite to win the starting right tackle job at the moment.
“I wouldn’t say clear cut right now. We’re going to try and compete,” he said. “It’s coach talk I guess but we want to compete through the second scrimmage before we make any final decisions. The competition makes everything better.”
The competition centers around super senior Dylan Wonnum and redshirt sophomore Tyshawn Wannamaker.
Wonnum battled injuries in 2019 and 2021. But he does have at least 30 starts under his belt while Wannamaker served well pressed into service last year.
When Wonnum went out last season for South Carolina with a back injury, Wannamaker filled in and started the remaining games.
In 378 snaps last year, Wonnum had a 66.8 overall PFF grade with seven pressures allowed in 210 pass block snaps.
Wannamaker had a 49.8 overall grade with 19 pressures allowed in 221 pass block snaps for the Gamecocks.
Wonnum was taking first-team reps during Thursday’s practice, but it’s still very much an ongoing competition.
“I think they’ve both improved pass protection-wise,” Satterfield said. “Tyshawn, his athletic ability, toughness and attitude gives us a spark when he’s in the game. They both bring a lot to the table. “
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Whichever starts will be part of a South Carolina offensive line needing to improve for the Gamecocks to take another step.
South Carolina ranked near the bottom of the SEC in most rushing categories last season. The Gamecocks also allowed pressure on 35.1 percent of dropbacks last season, second-worst in the SEC.
Satterfield saw growth last year in pass protection, but that’s still something to grow on as the season approaches.
“Even with scrimmage one into this week, we were dedicated to pass protection. We want to make sure we can protect Spencer and those guys so we can get the ball down the field,” Satterfield said. “I think that’s the number one thing. We showed at times we could run the ball effectively. We just have to continue to improve in our pass protection.”
One of Satterfield’s focal points this season is being more explosive in the passing game.
South Carolina ranked 11th in the SEC in pass plays of at least 20 yards, something that needs improving this year.
That starts up front giving Spencer Rattler and the quarterbacks more time to throw.
“We have to be unique and we can’t just do what we’ve always done in pass protection where we just drop back and throw it 50 times,” Satterfield said. “We have to protect our edges, protect certain people, create different pockets and launch points.”
