Gamecocks always seem to turn to Turner

It always seems to come back to A.J. Turner.

The 5-foot-10 junior South Carolina tailback was USC football’s starter to open 2016. He started the final five games of the 2017 regular season. He led the team in carries last year and nearly did the year before.

So in a crowded tailback room, is there potential to start in 2018?

“He had a great year and was probably our most explosive player,” Gamecocks running backs coach Bobby Bentley said. “Had a great year and does such a good job for us on special teams as well. A.J.’s really had a good spring for us and I hope that is continues on. Just looking for one of those guys to lead this group.”

The Gamecocks have the makings of a rotation between Turner, Rico Dowdle, Ty’son Williams, Mon Denson and a slew of others, but USC’s staff wants to know who the top guy is.

Turner’s path has been an odd one. While David Williams bounced in and out of the doghouse early in 2016, Turner was the rock of the running game. Eventually he was overtaken by Dowdle, who seemed to establish himself, and USC was adding Williams going into 2017.

But Dowdle didn’t seem right the first seven games last season. (He managed one run longer than 10 yards in the first seven games.) Williams wasn’t consistent, and by year’s end, Turner led the team with 98 carries and 547 yards.

Turner’s game has a bit of contradiction to it. He’s only 184 pounds, 30 short of Williams and Dowdle and 25 fewer than Denson. But he’s one of the team’s toughest inside runners, but only somewhat explosive despite his speed. He got five yards on 45.9 percent of his 2017 carries, a strong number that jumped from 31.9 as a freshman.

He was also a factor as a kick returner and several other special teams units, plus caught 18 passes from 117 yards.

He’ll go into next season, his fourth with the program, again battling for that coveted spot. At some point through ups and downs, it might come back to him again.

“He can definitely be the No. 1 guy and was the No. 1 guy for most of the season,” Bentley said. “What happens is, guys get nicked and you end up having to put another guy in there.”

This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Gamecocks always seem to turn to Turner."