7 South Carolina freshmen most likely to make an impact in 2020
We are one week away from South Carolina football returning to the field at Williams-Brice Stadium. And when the Gamecocks play the Tennessee Volunteers on Sept. 26, they’ll do so with a lot of new faces.
In particular, USC’s freshmen will likely have plenty of chances to play this season as Carolina looks to flush away the taste of last year’s disappointing 4-8 campaign. In order to make an impact as a freshman, a player needs talent, maturity and opportunity — and South Carolina will have plenty of opportunities at some key spots. Here are seven first-year players who could play big roles.
1. Rico Powers Jr.
Few positions at South Carolina this season will provide more opportunity for young players to contribute than wide receiver. With last year’s top target Bryan Edwards gone to the NFL and a severe lack of proven options behind senior Shi Smith, the Gamecocks need playmakers. Into that void, Rico Powers Jr. stepped up this camp and could get a good share of snaps this season. He may even be in the mix to start if transfer Jalen Brooks’ request for a waiver from the NCAA is denied. A 6-foot-2, 195-pound former four-star recruit, Powers has speed to be a threat downfield but also enough physicality to hold his own.
2. Tonka Hemingway
There might not be a more talent-laden position group at USC than defensive line, and South Carolina native Tonka Hemingway is right up there with the best of them. A former four-star recruit, Hemingway stands a robust 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, already bigger than undersized defensive end starter Aaron Sterling. Make no mistake, Sterling has the starting job locked up, but Hemingway has garnered praise throughout camp and should be in line to back him up and pick up a fair share of snaps along the way.
3. Rashad Amos
One way or another, there’s a strong chance you’ll see freshman running back Rashad Amos on the field in some capacity this fall — that’s what happens when there are only four scholarship running backs available. When fellow freshman and blue-chip prospect MarShawn Lloyd went down with a torn ACL early in camp, it put pressure on the rest of the unit, Amos included, to step up at a position where the Gamecocks lost their top three contributors from a year ago.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and coach Will Muschamp have been complimentary of Amos’ vision and playmaking ability, but they’ve also said he needs to improve his consistency and “grow up” fast. Should he be able to figure that out, he could very easily be a fixture in the backfield as the season progresses.
4. Jordan Burch
The crown jewel of the 2020 recruiting class, five-star local stud Jordan Burch enters his first season with out-sized expectations and excitement from the fan base. He won’t be an instantaneous starter — junior Kingsley Enagbare appears to have the Buck position locked up at the moment. But he will get chances. A fearsome pass rusher with incredible athleticism packed into his 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame, Burch is the future of South Carolina’s defensive line. It’s only a matter of whether his physicality and consistency will be enough to make an impact right away.
5. Luke Doty
Dual-threat quarterback Luke Doty is “just” South Carolina’s third-string QB, but in age of COVID-19, when a positive test or close contact can knock a player out without warning, that position takes on a little more importance — it’s far from far-fetched to imagine that Doty might see some action this season, especially given how much of a different look he provides from the pro style of starter Collin Hill and backup Ryan Hilinski.
And if not at quarterback, Doty may get the chance to make an impact at wide receiver, where he spent a decent chunk of preseason camp working. As a speedy, smart playmaker, he may simply be too good to keep off the field, especially if USC’s receiving room doesn’t have multiple contributors emerge.
6. Ger-Cari Caldwell
Another wide receiver makes this list with in-state player Ger-Cari Caldwell — the state of the position is just too unsettled to not give the youngsters a good long look. Caldwell’s recruitment only gained momentum late in his senior year after an impressive season in which he caught 51 passes for 767 yards in 10 games. At 6-foot-5, 202 pounds, he’s got the size to not get pushed around, and he’s come on late in camp as a guy the coaches have said could make an impact as he settles into the offense.
7. Kai Kroeger
It was little consolation during last season’s struggles, but the Gamecocks had one of the nation’s top punters in Joseph Charlton, now in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. In his place, South Carolina is going with Kai Kroeger, the top-ranked punter in his class according to Kohl’s Kicking. And while it may not be the most exciting or attention-grabbing position from a fan’s perspective, USC would benefit greatly from Kroeger providing as little drop-off as possible from Charlton’s performance. And it certainly can’t afford to have him struggle.
This story was originally published September 19, 2020 at 8:45 AM.
