How Shane Beamer plans to use 6-foot-7 EJ Jenkins, balance USC’s running back rotation
EJ Jenkins has been a busy man during South Carolina football’s first three spring practices.
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer said Thursday the junior transfer has been splitting time between receiver and tight end.
“EJ is a guy we’re trying to figure out where he best belongs,” Beamer said. “Like all of our guys, Nick Muse is a tight end and Jaheim Bell is a tight end, but you’ll see them lined up all over. That’s what we want to have in this offense, the flexibility to move guys around. EJ is a guy that’s a little bit of everywhere right now and is being asked to do a lot. We want to get our best guys on the field and create matchups. We certainly can do that with him.”
The 6-foot-7 Jenkins is the tallest receiver on the Gamecocks roster and his presence is needed at both spots. The Gamecocks lack proven playmakers at the receiver position and need some depth at tight end behind Muse, the starter last season.
Jenkins comes to USC from Saint Francis, an FCS school in Pennsylvania, alongside his high school quarterback Jason Brown. He had 39 catches for 779 yards and a school-record 13 touchdowns in 2019, but Saint Francis didn’t play a season in 2020 because of COVID-19.
Running back rotation
Beamer was asked Thursday if he prefers using one “bell cow” running back or use a “by-committee” approach.
That question is particularly important because the Gamecocks have MarShawn Lloyd, a former blue-chip prospect who missed the 2020 season because of an ACL injury, and Kevin Harris, who emerged as a workhorse and a star last season with more than 1,000 yards in 10 games.
Lloyd and Harris are expected to get a bulk of the workload at running back in 2021, but Beamer said he isn’t opposed to using three or four guys at the position.
“The more, the better,” Beamer said. “At Oklahoma, we had a great rotation with multiple guys. My second year at Georgia, we had Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and DeAndre Swift with Elijah Holyfield as the fourth guy.
“We have an offense where we will have certain packages for certain guys. We don’t want to run guys in left and right. It is hard to play running back that way. … Certainly as the game goes on, guys will separate themselves and ride the hot hand.”
Practice schedule altered
Beamer announced he is adjusting the Gamecocks’ practice for next week.
The team was supposed to practice twice before having the Easter holiday weekend off. But because of injuries, illnesses and wanting to keep guys fresh, they will just be doing walk-throughs and lifting days on Tuesday and Thursday.
“It kind of gives us time as a staff to see what we need to do going forward,” Beamer said.
Moore sidelined
Offensive lineman Jakai Moore might be out for an extended period of time because of a turf toe injury, Beamer said.
During the media viewing portion of Saturday’s first practice, Moore was seen in a boot and on a scooter. The redshirt sophomore started six games last season, two at left tackle and four at right tackle.
Quarterback Jason Brown is back at practice after missing Saturday’s workout with an illness.
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 3:14 PM.
