Muschamp won’t call it Gamecocks’ most wide-open position battle, but it might be
Spring practice is the time for position battles on a football team to mostly shake out.
South Carolina coach Will Muschamp, when asked which positions were the most wide open, quickly gave a standard crack: “All of ‘em.”
But when pressed, he started listing off all of ‘em — and the one he mentioned first either had some meaning or at least seemed as if it did.
His wide receiver position will have a lot of sorting out to do before the 2020 season begins. Top playmaker Bryan Edwards is off the the NFL, leaving only senior Shi Smith as a proven option. USC will need at least two others, likely more, and the coach gave a few thoughts on some of the top contenders.
▪ Randrecous Davis, an oft-injured senior in his fifth year on campus, is out for spring with a stress fracture: “We needed him to partake in spring. Football’s a developmental sport, and we needed him to be able to take part of that. ... He will be cleared to probably be in some non-contact, seven-on-seven, one-on-one, the latter part of spring practice, but will not be in part of any contact.”
▪ OrTre Smith, who had more than 300 yards as a starter in 2017: “We need to get OrTre Smith back to year one. He caught 30 balls and was a guy that did a really good job. Of course, I think he’s back to that point of being as healthy as he was his first year.”
▪ Josh Vann, a former four-star recruit: “Needs to step up for us. We need Josh to continue to come on.”
▪ Xavier Legette, who played a good bit as a true freshman late last season. “Played quarterback his entire career. He’s never played receiver in his life, and he starts as a true freshman for us. And Bryan did a great job of bringing him along and was a very productive player for us late in the season. And we need Xavier to step up.”
▪ Former quarterback Dakereon Joyner. “We’re excited about Dakereon’s opportunities there.”
▪ Tyquan Johnson: “Now starting to look like the guy that we recruited, explosive and fast, and needs to continue to come on.”
Johnson signed in 2018 but failed to qualify and spent a year in prep school. He didn’t play a down last season, but is up 20 pounds to 200 on his 6-foot-3 frame.
That group above combined for 43 catches in 2019.
Vann was an opening game starter and OrTre Smith has the 10 starts as a freshman under his belt. But by the end of last season, the receivers outside Shi Smith and Edwards (both not healthy) had a fair amount of trouble getting open.
They have their position coach, Bryan McClendon, back despite some reported flirtations with the NFL. They also added freshman Mike Wyman in the spring and will bring in Rico Powers and Ger-Cari Caldwell (both four-stars by at least one service) in the summer.
And from the group, someone reliable will have to emerge for the Gamecocks offense, which rode Deebo Samuel, Edwards and Smith since Muschamp arrived, to get back on track.
