USC is near the bottom of one key ranking going into 2021, but so are 3 playoff teams
When coach Shane Beamer took over the South Carolina football program, he didn’t shy away from acknowledging what many saw: He was taking over a program in need of a refresh after a 2-8 season.
This week, one of ESPN’s top statistical minds broke down just how much Beamer will have to refresh as he attempts to build back the Gamecocks.
Bill Connelly, an analytics expert for ESPN, took to Twitter on Wednesday to release his list of every FBS team ranked by returning production for 2021. Breaking down each team’s production by stats and snaps, he pegged South Carolina at returning 47% of its production from the 2020 squad. That mark ranked 125th out of 127 teams.
The rate of returning production across the sport, especially given the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is high heading into 2021, Connelly noted on Twitter. That makes USC’s low rate of return stand out even more, but the Gamecocks are in some interesting company.
Three of the four teams that made the College Football Playoff last season — Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State — are all 120th and lower. The fourth, Clemson, ranked 100th. That’s not too surprising, given the number of veteran players who are typically on championship teams.
Meanwhile, most of the teams near the top of Connelly’s rankings are Group of Five schools, with other top-rated schools from last year including Texas A&M, Florida, Oklahoma and Northwestern, are all in the bottom half.
Looking at South Carolina’s returning production, the Gamecocks do bring back 141 of 220 starts from last year’s team. But they are looking to replace production in several key areas. They lose 77.2% of their passing yards, 39.4% of their receiving yards, 43.1% of their tackles and 69.6% of their pass break-ups.
The biggest returning producers on offense are clearly running back Kevin Harris, who produced more than 1,200 yards from the line of scrimmage, and tight end Nick Muse, who was second on the team in receiving yards and catches. On defense, edge Kingsley Enagbare led the team in sacks and is back for another season, while cornerback Cam Smith tied for the team lead in interceptions and is expected to lead the secondary.
The Gamecocks recently completed their spring practice season and will open their 2021 season on Sept. 4 against Eastern Illinois.
SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL 2021 SCHEDULE
- Sept. 4 - vs. Eastern Illinois
- Sept. 11 - at East Carolina
- Sept. 18 - at Georgia
- Sept. 25 - vs. Kentucky
- Oct. 2 - vs. Troy
- Oct. 9 - at Tennessee
- Oct. 16 - vs. Vanderbilt
- Oct. 23 - at Texas A&M
- Oct. 30 - BYE
- Nov. 6 - vs. Florida
- Nov. 13 - at Missouri
- Nov. 20 - vs. Auburn
- Nov. 27 - vs. Clemson
