USC spring practice starts soon. Our thoughts on the Gamecocks’ depth chart
The South Carolina football team lost a slew of players off the two-deep following the 2019 season. They just added 10 scholarship players as early enrollees and will hit the field again starting Feb. 26 for spring practice.
Here’s a look at how the depth chart might come together when that starts up again.
Quarterback
No. 1 Ryan Hilinski
No. 2 Collin Hill (Injured)
No. 3 Luke Doty
Comment: Hilinski remains the returning starter, and Hill is too seasoned to not at least be at the No. 2 spot. Doty coming in gives him a chance to compete, and the team doesn’t have and full-time scholarship QBs after that. That said, Hill is unlikely to participate in spring as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Running back
No. 1 MarShawn Lloyd
No. 2 Kevin Harris
No. 3 Deshaun Fenwick
Comment: This might be cheating a little as coaching staffs often put veterans with the starters in the first few days as a nod to seniority. At the moment, no one is proven enough to be 100 percent slotted in, and Lloyd probably has the highest ceiling. This spring will be big for Harris and Fenwick in establishing themselves as each as shown flashes, but they’ll also be battling three newcomers for carries in Lloyd, freshman Rashad Amos and a third runner the staff plans to add.
Wide receivers
No. 1 Shi Smith, OrTre Smith, Xavier Legette
No. 2 Josh Vann, Randrecous Davis, Dakereon Joyner
No. 3 Chad Terrell, Keveon Mullins, Mike Wyman, Jay Urich
Comment: Legette held a big enough role last year, so he probably gets the nod. OrTre Smith will be another year healthier off knee surgery for a genetic condition. Shi Smith is pretty established as a starter. Vann might be close to pushing for a starting spot after beginning last year with one, and Joyner got a decent number of snaps there last year despite being quite green. Urich still needs to get more seasoned after moving from QB, and Terrell and Mullins both have ability but haven’t shown a ton yet.
Tight end/Fullback
No. 1 Nick Muse, Adam Prentice
No. 2 Traevon Kenion, KeShawn Toney
Comment: The arrival of Prentice adds a second experienced player beside Muse, who is two months removed from a torn ACL. Muse looks to be the starter, but that knee means spring practice might not be in the cards. Prentice can do a little bit of everything and already knows the Mike Bobo offense. If Muse can’t go, it means more work for Kenion and Toney, who both got in a few snaps as they took redshirts last season.
Offensive tackle
No. 1 Jakai Moore, Dylan Wonnum
No. 2 Jazston Turnetine, Jaylen Nichols
No. 3 Eric Douglas
Comment: Wonnum is entering his third year starting and could be in line to go to left tackle. Moore impressed coaches enough down the stretch that they moved Sadarius Hutcherson back inside for the final game. Nichols also showed promise through last spring and in starting four games, but he had some freshman moments in pass protection. Turnetine is as big as a house and junior college players are generally brought in to contribute quickly. This group will have a lot of options and could shake out in a few different ways.
Offensive guard
No. 1 Jovaughn Gwyn, Sadarius Hutcherson
No. 2 Jordan Rhodes, Eric Douglas
Comment: This is a spot where things start to get interesting. Hutcherson bouncing back inside against Clemson might be a sign of things to come. That would bump down one of two returning starters in Gwyn or Rhodes, with Gwyn having a little longer of a track record. Douglas started the opener last year before getting benched, and he’s still a utility guy for the front. There are a few other guys who could step up depending on development.
Center
No. 1 Hank Manos
No. 2 Vincent Murphy
Comment: Manos seemed to be in good position here at the start of last season, but a disastrous first game and then an injury kept him out of the lineup most of the rest of the way. Murphy was a player with some promise and leadership, and has the build of a center. It’s also possible one of the players with a guard body type slides over, as position coach Eric Wolford prefers to cross-train most of his players.
Buck defensive end
No. 1 Brad Johnson
No. 2 Rodricus Fitten
Comment: Gone are veteran stalwarts D.J. Wonnum and Daniel Fennell. Johnson has been a steady presence when healthy but not a high-end pass rusher. Fitten played a little as a redshirting freshman. There might be more help to come, but a lot could be asked of these two.
Defensive end
No. 1 Kingsley Enagbare
No. 2 Aaron Sterling
Comment: This is possibly the most sturdy position on the roster. Both Enagbare and Sterling were good rotation players last season. Joseph Anderson was a four-star who redshirted, but he should kick in either here or at tackle.
Defensive tackle
No. 1 Zacch Pickens, Keir Thomas
No. 2 Rick Sandidge, Jabari Ellis
No. 3 Devontae Davis
Comment: This spot might be a little thinner at the moment with two freshmen, Makius Scott and Alex Huntley, still not yet enrolled. Pickens played a decent amount last year as a five-star freshman. Thomas is a veteran coming off injury. Those two plus Sandidge are likely the top group. Ellis played some last season, while Davis missed the whole year with a foot injury.
Middle linebacker
No. 1 Ernest Jones
No. 2 Sherrod Greene
No. 3 Rosendo Louis Jr.
Comment: Jones held down this spot relatively well last season, so unless the staff wants to move him to weakside (as they did with T.J. Brunson), he might stay here. Greene is now a senior and can play almost any spot. Louis is a big guy who has yet to find a permanent home.
Weakside linebacker
No. 1 Jahmar Brown
No. 2 Damani Staley
No. 3 Mohamed Kaba
Comment: Brown flashed last season, making six tackles and forcing a fumble. His potential and speed should be enough to hold off Staley, a steady backup who can help at several spots. Kaba has a lot of athleticism, and at his height, might have the mobility to work here. He did tear his ACL early last season, so it’s not yet clear if he’ll be able to go in spring.
Strongside linebacker
No. 1 Sherrod Greene
No. 2 Rosendo Louis
No. 3 Mohamed Kaba
Comment: Greene played this position well enough to make it a de facto starting role. It remains to be seen if he ends up getting more work at the weakside spot, but he at least made this work last year. Louis has some size that could benefit on the edge, and Kaba is a taller type of player who could perhaps fit this mold as well.
Corner
No. 1 Israel Mukuamu, Jaycee Horn
No. 2 Cam Smith, John Dixon
No. 3 O’Donnell Fortune, Dominick Hill
Comment: Horn and Mukuamu held the spot down last year. Change is doubtful unless Mukuamu is needed full-time at safety or a younger player stepping up allows for that. Dixon got work early but that faded, and Smith ended up taking a redshirt. Either of them could help create more flexibility. Fortune and Hill will both be getting their feet wet in their first college action.
Nickel
No. 1 Jammie Robinson
No. 2 R.J. Roderick
Comment: South Carolina has started freshmen in three consecutive seasons at this spot, so the final option might be just getting his feet wet or not yet on the roster. That said, Robinson played here much of last season, and Roderick has some ability to add bulk in the box. In the end, USC will move around its five best guys, but developing depth has been a challenge the past few seasons.
Safety
No. 1 R.J. Roderick, Jammie Robinson
No. 2 Jaylin Dickerson, Israel Mukuamu
No. 3 Shilo Sanders
Comment: Roderick and Robinson are far and away the most seasoned players and shared this spot for chunks of last year, when the team had only four defensive backs on the field. One or both likely play some nickel. Dickerson needs to get healthy, but he’s always had potential. Mukuamu has the build for the position and some background playing it. Sanders sat most of last season.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 8:47 AM.
