The Verdict: South Carolina can win differently in 2024
South Carolina football superfan Chris Paschal writes a weekly column during the season for GamecockCentral called “The Verdict.” Chris is a lawyer at Goings Law Firm in Columbia.
South Carolina was unable to physically dominate teams in 2023. That’s not something new.
The Gamecocks have struggled with that facet of the game often for the past decade. There are many reasons for this inability for Gamecock football teams to run the football, stop the run, tackle, block, and generally assert their will. But most of these reasons stem from one universal truth: you need a lot of big and fast men on your football team to win games.
Carolina hasn’t had big and fast men, or at least enough of them, to compete at a high level in the SEC for years. Carolina exceeded expectations in 2021 and 2022 because our coach willed our team to victory. Carolina exceeded expectations in 2021 and 2022 because we forced a lot of turnovers. And Carolina exceeded expectations in 2021 and 2022 because our offensive line did not lose multiple contributors to injury. But one thing you would never confuse those 2021 and 2022 teams with was a team that was loaded with elite SEC talent on the lines of scrimmage, running back room, and linebacking corps.
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In 2023, while our coaching staff scrapped and clawed and never gave up, and while we still forced a decent number of turnovers, our offensive and defensive lines were pedestrian at best and putrid at worst. There were injuries, there was inexperience, and there were times in the fourth quarter when our guys were just gassed.
Those concerns should not rear themselves in 2024. This is the fastest, biggest, and most physical team in Columbia since 2013. There should be no shying away from that. TJ Sanders, Boogie Huntley, Nick Barrett, Deandre Jules, Tonka Hemingway, Monkell Goodwine, Dylan Stewart, Bryan Thomas, Jr., Kyle Kennard, Desmond Umeozulu, Jatius Geer, and Gilber Edmond are defensive linemen that can win football games in the SEC. Debo Williams, Demetrius Knight, Bangally Kamara, and Bam Martin-Scott, are linebackers that can win football games in the SEC. When is the last time you could name 17 players – and leave out a couple – in the Carolina defensive front seven and feel good about each one?
On offense, the Gamecocks feature a stable of running backs that most SEC teams would at the very least respect if not fear. The tight ends on this roster are big and physical, with the ability to be both pass catchers and run blockers. And at the very least this offensive line should improve with the additions of freshman Josiah Thompson and transfers Kamaar Bell and Torricelli Simpkins. (While it would be unwise to assume drastic improvement, this offensive line will improve.) Add in the biggest wide receiver in the SEC and the biggest safety in the SEC, and this ball club will be impressive walking off the bus.
But if South Carolina is to win some games, those aforementioned big and fast dudes need to also play with some attitude. Last season, if Carolina was going to compete in a game and win it, for the most part, it was going to come off the arm of Spencer Rattler. This team could not run the ball. And up until late November, it struggled on defense. When Carolina had a shot in Athens, it was because Rattler threw some amazing passes. When Carolina was leading Florida, it was because Rattler was slinging the football all over the field. When Carolina beat Kentucky, in concert with a strong defensive showing, it was because Rattler hung in the pocket and threw an incredible dart to Xavier Leggette for the game-deciding touchdown.
Carolina does not have that luxury in 2024. At least not in the first few games. Redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers is a gifted athlete with a promising future. He can make all the throws, runs like a tailback, and has the intangible qualities you need in a quarterback. But he will not be 2010 Cam Newton, 2016 Lamar Jackson, or even 2013 Connor Shaw against Old Dominion. And even if he is, I expect there will be many times throughout the duration of this season where he will make a mistake or look like a freshman.
Maybe I am wrong, and maybe he is Johnny Manziel or Jameis Winston or Tim Tebow, a few examples of quarterbacks that after playing minor or no roles as true freshmen, exploded onto the scene in second year campaigns that ended in Heisman Trophies. But those guys are exceptions to the rule. I want to make sure what I am saying is not misinterpreted. I am a big fan of Sellers. I think he is gifted and the perfect quarterback for the future of this program. He will make some great plays this season and will show the SEC it was foolish to sleep on him this entire offseason. That being said, usually a quarterback getting his first few starts in the SEC, especially at such a young age, needs time to make mistakes, learn, and grow into a future iteration that can win games on their own (see: Spencer Rattler).
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Old Dominion football game]
But that is the beauty of this 2024 roster. With hopefully an added emphasis on running the football, a newfound grit instilled by coaches like Shawn Elliott, and a depth that can keep our lines of scrimmage fresh and healthy late in the game, Sellers does not need to be Superman. Sellers does not need to throw the ball over thirty times in a game. He does not need to singlehandedly will his team to victory. And he certainly does not need to play like an All-American. Expecting him to do those things is not healthy and it is not realistic.
Carolina can win football games this season playing good defense and running the football. It may not be the sexiest thing to watch, but Carolina should be able to grind out wins this season. Hopefully I am wrong, and Sellers is the greatest quarterback in SEC history this season. But if I am not, and if at times he looks like a freshman, Carolina can win ball games in 2024 in a way it could not in 2023.
