5 intriguing early enrollee Gamecocks to watch as spring practice gets under way
The new guys are here for South Carolina football.
The staff added 10 early enrollees this offseason. They span a range of positions. Some of the offensive linemen might not be ready to contribute early, but some of the others will.
Ranking the five most intriguing players to watch in their first springs in Columbia:
1. MarShawn Lloyd, RB
He’s one of the biggest stars of South Carolina’s 2020 class and comes in at probably the position of the biggest need. The four-star, consensus top-50 national recruit brings an interesting blend of shiftiness and a stout, powerful build. He was explosive on the high school level and steps in at a position that turned over its top four players. It’s a long way from spring to September, but he could line himself up for a starting spot with the right performance.
2. Luke Doty, QB
If all goes well, the returning starter (Ryan Hilinski) and grad transfer (Collin Hill) will give Doty a chance to redshirt and adapt to the pace of the college game. But it will be interesting to see what Doty can show in his first work in a college offense. With Hill sidelined until after spring, the only thing standing between Doty and second-team reps is a batch of walk-ons who are also learning the offense for the first time. Doty was a good high school passer (1,876 yards, 25 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior) and adds spark as a runner (408 yards in 10 games), so his spring will bear watching.
3. Jazston Turnetine, OL
Most new linemen are freshmen who have a good deal of growth and development to do, which tends to prevent them from taking a role right away. As a junior college player, Turnetine is in far better position to contribute right away, and he probably doesn’t need to do much more growing. At 6-foot-6 and 337 pounds, he already stood a half-head taller than the three other early enrollee linemen. Even with returning starter Sadarius Hutcherson moving inside, there’s a mess of competition at offensive tackle, but USC had luck there with Dennis Daley a few years ago.
4. Dominick Hill, DB
This spot could arguably go to O’Donnell Fortune, another defensive back who enrolled early, but Hill is a bit bigger (16 pounds heavier) and played some high-level high school football in Florida. The Gamecocks need at least one more starter in the secondary and could use some depth. The candidates are one oft-injured veteran (Jaylin Dickerson), three second-year players and a trio of freshmen. Hill picked off six passes as a senior and will get thrown in the thick of it this spring in Columbia.
5. Mike Wyman, WR
Receiver is arguably the most curious spot on South Carolina’s roster. It has one proven option (Shi Smith), three players who have started (Josh Vann, OrTre Smith, Xavier Legette) and a slew of other options with various recruiting pedigrees who have not yet contributed. Into this mix steps Wyman, a big four-star pass catcher who posted modest numbers in a run-heavy scheme last season in high school. USC has snaps available, and he could be a player who gets his shot.
More early enrollees: Linebacker Mohamed Kaba (out with a torn ACL), defensive back O’Donnell Fortune, offensive linemen Vershon Lee, Tyshawn Wannamaker, Trai Jones.
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 6:15 AM.
