Practice report: Gamecocks look for help behind Cooper

South Carolina’s penciled in the top two players at each of its three wide receiver positions, but things could change before or even after the Gamecocks open the season Thursday night against North Carolina.

“I think they know the history of this program. Everybody is going to get a shot,” wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. said. “If you have a bad day, somebody is going ahead of you. If you have a good day, you’re going to stay there and if you’re young and on the scout team, you could be starting by Week 4. Everybody knows where they are.”

Junior Pharoh Cooper, senior Carlton Heard and freshman Deebo Samuel will be the starters in three-receiver sets and will be backed up by senior Shamier Jeffery, junior Matrick Belton and freshman Terry Googer.

“Those six guys and then there will be a couple of freshmen ready to rotate around, but for the most part those six guys should get the most action,” Spurrier Jr. said. “There is one guy (Cooper) qualified to play as many snaps as he wants. Everybody else is on a snap-to-snap basis.”

Cooper was first-team All-SEC last year after catching 69 passes for 1,136 yards, but he’s the only South Carolina wide receiver with more than eight career catches.

Belton, a Columbia native and Keenan High School graduate, is the most surprising name among the top six. The walk-on started his career at Hampton and then transferred to South Carolina last season, but had to sit out due to transfer rules.

“He’ll run through a wall for you. He probably runs through a wall too much,” Spurrier Jr. said. “We have to slow him down some. Ever since he has been here, he has been determined to do whatever it took to get on the field, and he has earned that right on special teams and offense.”

Freshman wide receiver D.J. Neal will play this season because he’s a starter on special teams, Spurrier Jr. said. Freshmen Jalen Christian and Jerad Washington “are in the mix” and Christian Owens “is a guy we’d like to redshirt,” Spurrier Jr. said.

Redshirt freshman Shaq Davidson suffered a knee injury this week in practice and could be lost for the season, Spurrier Jr. said.

“How long he will be out, we will know as soon as we know,” Spurrier Jr. said. “It’s unfortunate. He was doing well.”

Cooper may wear a knee brace during games this year but looks faster than last season, head coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday night on his call-in show.

High prices. Head coach Steve Spurrier lamented the price of tickets to the Belk College Kickoff during his Thursday night call-in show. Spurrier was shocked to see the ticket he was issued for wife Jerri cost $257, he said.

“That’s Super Bowl prices,” Spurrier said. “I told her, ‘You have the most expensive college ticket I have ever had in my hand.’ I think that’s a little too steep or else we could fill the ballpark.”

Spurrier has heard 50,000-55,000 tickets have been sold for the game. Bank of America Stadium holds 70,000. Ticket prices were set by the game’s organizing committee rather than either university.

Uniform combination. Ryan Fischer of the equipment staff confirmed on a USC Periscope broadcast that the Gamecocks will wear garnet jerseys and white pants for the season-opener. The team will wear its standard white helmets all season – no specialty chrome, black, garnet, feathers, etc. will be added.

Injury update. Defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth (pectoral), Jeffery (illness), Davidson (knee), tight end Connor Redmond (back), kicker Joseph Charlton (back), cornerback Shannon James (wrist), quarterback Gage Pucci (knee) and safety Antoine Wilder (right knee sprain) were in yellow, no-contact jerseys. Stallworth said after the practice that he would be ready for the North Carolina game.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Practice report: Gamecocks look for help behind Cooper."