2008 South Carolina Gamecocks

Offense

Steve Spurrier’s offense has been caught up with by SEC defensive coordinators. The past 3 years, it has been a decent but unspectacular group. Spurrier is even giving some of the playcalling duties to his son, Steve Spurrier Jr., but he plans to oversee the offense and spend more time coaching the quarterbacks.

Quarterback

Tommy Beecher, a junior and long-time backup, was named the starting QB after having the best spring practice on the team. Accounts are that he has the best arm on the team and has decent mobility, and that he continued having good practices in the fall. He is extemely intelligent and has been in the system the longest out of the other quarterbacks, so he gives USC the best chance. Sophomore Chris Smelley was 4-2 as a starter last year and is a capable backup. The position is a question mark because of a lack of experience but the talent is there to do well.

Runningback

Mike Davis, an experienced senior, is the unquestioned starter. He is a solid if not flashy back. He doesn’t have breakaway speed, but near the goal line he always finds a way to get into the end zone. He should move into the top 10 USC leaders in career rushing yardage after the season. Brian Maddox, a talented but untested sophomore is the primary backup.

Wide Receiver

Senior Kenny McKinley is a potential All-American, and has a shot at breaking a ton of records including career receptions (school and the SEC), career receiving yards, and career touchdown receptions. Speedy junior Moe Brown has always had trouble catching the ball in games but shows out in practice. He did play better at the end of the season, and could have a breakout 2008. Sophomore Dion LeCorn emerged as the #2 receiver at the end of last season but hasn’t done as well in the spring and fall as Brown. Freddie Brown, a junior, usually catches what gets to him but he has trouble running good routes and getting open. Jason Barnes, Joe Hills, and Matt Clements are all talented young players looking for some playing time as well.

Tight End

USC has potentially both of the best two receiving tight ends in the conference, junior Jared Cook and sophomore Wesyle Saunders. Cook is 6′5, 245 lbs, and can fly. He could enter the draft and be a 1st or 2nd round pick after the season. Saunders is a huge player–actually recruited as a DE–and is very fast for his size. If the WRs other than McKinley have trouble stepping up, Beecher can look to these guys for help.

Offensive Line

This is the biggest question mark on the team. They were the primary reason that the Gamecocks were dead last in the SEC in rushing yardage and that Gamecock quarterbacks had to hurry to get rid of the football. They could make or break the 2008 season. In 2007, only 2 lineman started all 12 games, and those 2 are returning senior tackles Jamon Meredith and Justin Sorenson. They were adequate at best last year. Heath Batchelor, a sophomore, emerged as the starting right tackle at the end of the season. The other spots appear to be a revolving door, although they seem to be improving in practice as some of the younger players are developing.

Defense

Ellis Johnson is the new defensive coordinator after coming over from Mississippi State. He inherits a very talented defense that could be one of the top groups in the conference. The key will be stopping the run, as this was one of the major reasons for the 5 game collapse at the end of last season. Johnson has been using a 4-2-5 defense to help counter the spread and plans to use it as his base defense.

Defensive Line

Sophomore Cliff Matthews, a very talented player, will start at defensive end. He played outside linebacker last year just so he could get on the field. He will likely have a breakout year. Jordin Lindsey will return from academic problems to start at the other side in his last year of eligibility. He is a solid but unspectacular player. At defensive tackle, Ladi Ajiboye won accolades as a freshman and will man one of the spots. Nathan Pepper returns from a knee injury to start at the other tackle position. This should be a pretty solid group.

Linebacker

This could be one of the top linebacker cores in the nation, if the players are not too heavy. There are two All-American candidates here: senior Jasper Brinkley and junior Eric Norwood. Brinkley is returning from a knee injury and Norwood is making a switch from DE. Both players weigh in the mid 260’s, so speed may be a bit of a concern. However, both players have a reputation for being all over the field, and with the new Spur position on defense, they may not need to worry about covering any receivers. Rodney Paulk, who had started 22 games in his first 2 years, and Gerrod Sinclair are more than capable reserves.

Spur

This is the new position that is being used in the 4-2-5 defense. It is a sort of hybrid LB/S role. Junior Darian Stewart, last year’s starting FS, is pencilled in here. Stewart is a good tackler and a solid cover player. He will be backed up by former WR Larry Freeman and true freshman Antonio Allen.

Cornerback

The Gamecocks’ defensive secondary was one of the top rated groups in the country in 2007, and has everyone returning. Captain Munnerlyn, one of the top CBs in the SEC, returns to shut down one half of the field. Seniors Carlos Thomas and Stoney Woodson are both solid players and will split time playing the other corner position and the nickel. Sophomore Addison Williams and true freshman Akeem Auguste are talented young players who provide depth.

Free Safety

Chris Culliver, the fastest player on the team, was recently named the starter here. The sophomore was ranked 3rd in average kickoff return yardage in the SEC last year, and all accounts are that he can hit. Backing up the former 5 star recruit will be redshirt freshman Mark Barnes, a talented player in his own right.

Strong Safety

Junior Emanuel Cook terrorizes any receiver coming across the middle. He can put a nasty hit on anyone. With the Gamecocks’ struggles stopping the run last year, he was the leading tackler on the team in 2007. Cook may be the top SS in the conference. He will be backed up by junior Chris Hail.

Special Teams

After several blocked punts at the end of the season and continued problems with coverage, Spurrier brought in coach Ray Richleski from Maryland. Maryland traditionally had one of the top ST units in the country. Richleski stresses playing assignments. He will get lots of help from senior placekicker Ryan Succop, a kicker with a strong leg who is a Groza candidate. Culliver will be the primary kick returner and Munnerlyn is the primary punt returner. Bad field position has been a big problem for USC over the years, and look for better starting field position this year.

Outlook

I’m not going to make any predictions here, but instead I will list sure wins, probable wins, toss-ups, and probable losses in this year’s schedule. 8-4 would be a realistic record for the year.

Sure Wins
Wofford
UAB

Probable Wins
NC State
Vanderbilt
Ole Miss
Kentucky
Arkansas

Toss-ups
Tennessee
Clemson

Probable Losses
Georgia
LSU
Florida

-Braves14