Halfway through football season, these four Gamecocks have strongest case as team MVP
Picking a best player, that’s not as difficult. But picking a most valuable player? That’s one of those great sports arguments where the context and the contours shift and slide for some good debate.
South Carolina’s football team is halfway through its 2020 regular season. It’s had the disappointment of an opening loss to Tennessee, the elation of an upset win over Auburn and the rude comedown at LSU last weekend.
We’ve got a bit of a cast of potential MVP candidates, each with his own case.
Wide receiver Shi Smith
The case for: If Smith were not here, the receiver group wouldn’t have been as strong through the first four games. Across those contests, he was targeted two and a half times more than anyone one else and at times had to carry the Gamecocks through the air. He’s sitting at 415 yards on 36 catches to go with three touchdowns.
The case against: It’s hard for a receiver to be a true bell cow and be highly explosive. Smith hasn’t added a ton in terms of big plays, which has capped the offense to a degree.
Running back Kevin Harris
The case for: Running backs have been de-emphasized in college football, and he was projected as the No. 2 up until Marshawn Lloyd tore an ACL. But he’s been a revelation of sorts. In five games, Harris has 535 yards and eight touchdowns, plus 99 yards through the air. He’s second in the SEC in yards and seventh in yards per carry. He has more yards in a single season than all but 15 USC backs since the start of the Spurrier era.
The case against: His backup, Deshaun Fenwick, has been effective in more limited carries, so that might be the payoff of a team effort.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn
The case for: He is very likely the best player on the team. The secondary around him has missed its second-best player (Israel Mukuamu) and its projected fourth-best player (R.J. Roderick) has been highly inconsistent. Teams mostly avoided Horn in the first three games, then he stood tall and dominated when Auburn came after him. He was not targeted often by LSU (and was the victim of a “pick play” on a Tigers touchdown).
The case against: Corner is a spot where opposing offenses can avoid a player. The Gamecocks defense still hasn’t been all-world, even when he’s taking top opposing play-makers out of the mix, so his impact is lessened to a degree.
Linebacker Ernest Jones
The case for: He’s had to hold things down with some instability around him on different parts of the defense. He’s putting up numbers with team-high 55 tackles (four for loss), a sack and two hurries. He’s also a leader on that side of the ball and has shown some flashes as a high-end play-maker.
The case against: It’s hard to hand an MVP award to a linebacker if they’re not out-of-this-world excellent. The defense has had its share of issues, especially on the ground And Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said Jones wasn’t at the level he could be the first two weeks.
Other candidates who were a bit short of consideration: Collin Hill, Keir Thomas
The call for MVP
It was probably Horn coming into the LSU game, but it’s hard to pick any defensive guy after that overall performance. Smith has been a bell cow through the air, but Harris has probably been the most consistent, strong playmaker on a team without many.
Give Harris the nod for stepping in and stepping up.
