Belk bests top freshman, offensive depth chart, more Gamecocks practice observations

The South Carolina Gamecocks football team opened the start of Wednesday’s practice to media, one of the last times it will open any practice this camp season. A few observations:

▪ We got another look at an approximation of an offensive depth chart”

1st group

QB: Jake Bentley

RB: A.J. Turner

WR: Deebo Samuel, Bryan Edwards, Shi Smith

TE: Jacob August

OL: Blake Camper, Dennis Daley, Zack Bailey, Sadarius Hutcherson, Donell Stanley

2nd group

QB: Michael Scarnecchia

RB: Mon Denson

WR: Josh Vann, OrTre Smith

TE: Kyle Markway, Kiel Pollard

OL: Malik Young, Eric Douglas, Chandler Farrell, Jordan Rhodes, Dylan Wonnum

3rd group

QB: Jay Urich

RB: Slade Carroll

WR: Bailey Hart, Darius Rush

TE: Evan Hinson, Will Register

OL: Maxwell Iyama, Will Putnam, Summie Carlay, Jordon Carty, Wyatt Campbell

Of note, Josh Vann was working with the second-team, two-tight end unit. It seems like they rotate the top tight end and running backs in this drill, so there’s not a ton to read into that.

▪ The offense was working against no defense, but that gave a good chance to see a couple plays. Of note was a pop-pass RPO, as well as a formation with pairs of wide receivers stacked out wide on either side (it allows for screens on both sides and a zone read in the box depending on defensive alignment).

▪ We got our first look at Josh Belk in a real contact situation, and he looked pretty good, whipping four-star freshman offensive tackle Dylan Wonnum in the Oklahoma drill. A few other outcomes from that.

-Keir Thomas got the best of Zack Bailey to start.

-Sadarius Hutcherson topped M.J. Webb early.

-August also got D.J. Wonnum, either a good sign for his blocking or a reminder this drill tends to favor offense.

-Ty’Son Williams just absolutely threw Sherrod Greene

-Ernest Jones had one big win. Didn’t see who he got, but he was bouncing around after and getting dapped up.

-Prized freshman Rick Sandidge was given the challenge of the veteran Bailey, and got the kind of lesson a veteran can only teach a freshman in the trenches.

▪ Offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn was back in uniform, but left the field with a trainer early in practice.

▪ Players in yellow included J.T. Ibe, Ben Asbury, Jaylin Dickerson, Rosendo Louis, Eldridge Thompson (not in pads), Chad Terrell, Chavis Dawkins

▪ Dickerson and Thompson are notable because both seemed to be in the thick of position battles and Will Muschamp didn’t mention them during his last availability.

▪ Right before practice, Muschamp seemed pretty energetic, but it felt like the energy was down in the first period. That turned up with a short-but-intense session of Oklahoma drill.

▪ Scouts from Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New Orleans, Cleveland and San Diego were on hand.

This story was originally published August 15, 2018 at 10:00 AM.