Making the case for South Carolina football’s 2021 team MVP
South Carolina capped off its 2021 campaign on Thursday with an emphatic 38-21 win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
With the season wrapped up, it’s time we hand out some postseason hardware. Who was the Gamecocks’ MVP this season? Let’s make the case for a few options.
QB Zeb Noland
In any normal universe, Zeb Noland never would’ve suited up for South Carolina at all. But with Luke Doty suffering a foot injury in the middle of fall camp, the Gamecocks needed another body in the quarterback room to help round it out.
Enter Noland.
With one year of eligibility remaining, Noland was moved in August from a graduate assistant to the active roster. His debut came with a four touchdown effort against Eastern Illinois. Noland also guided the Gamecocks to tight wins over East Carolina and Vanderbilt.
If Noland doesn’t come off the bench against the Commodores for a late-game drive — or isn’t added to the roster at all — there’s a good chance South Carolina never makes a bowl game.
DB Jaylan Foster
What isn’t there to say about Jaylan Foster?
The former Gardner-Webb transfer spent the bulk of his South Carolina career as a special teamer — at least until this fall. Foster earned Walter Camp second-team All-American honors. He led USC in tackles. His five interceptions tied for the national lead during the regular season.
All that for a guy who started his career as a walk-on at USC.
RB ZaQuandre White
South Carolina had its share of issues offensively, but ZaQuandre White was among the bright spots.
The former Florida State signee finished the regular season as USC’s leading rusher and became a focal point of the offense over the last month of the season. White concluded the campaign with 583 yards and two touchdowns on just 88 carries. He also added another 196 yards and three scores on 18 catches.
White declared for the NFL Draft prior to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, allowing Kevin Harris to surpass him as the team’s leading rusher this year, but he was far and away South Carolina’s most consistent tailback in 2021.
WR Josh Vann
Josh Vann’s South Carolina career had been largely underwhelming heading into 2021. He ended the year as the Gamecocks’ biggest breakout star.
Vann finished as South Carolina’s leading receiver, notching 43 catches for 679 yards and five touchdowns. He finished with almost 200 yards and 13 receptions more than any other player on the roster.
There were a handful of games where Vann disappeared when team defenses shaded to his side, but he largely became the Gamecocks’ best deep threat and made a handful of crucial and acrobatic catches in 2021.
It’s unclear whether he’ll head off to the NFL after this season, but it’d be a major coup for Beamer and co. to bring him back next fall.
QB Jason Brown
South Carolina’s quarterback conundrum ought to go down in history. Jason Brown also belongs at the center of that.
Brown came to South Carolina from FCS school St. Francis. He dropped 20 pounds to get into better shape. He stuck through losing two quarterback competitions — first to Doty, then to Noland. Eventually, he got his reward.
The Virginia native guided South Carolina to a throttling of Florida and a gritty win over Auburn to help the Gamecocks reach bowl eligibility.
Brown’s final stat line at USC was solid: 60 of 108 for 721 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions. It will stay that way as he entered the transfer portal shortly after South Carolina signed Oklahoma import Spencer Rattler.
Our pick: Jaylan Foster
Zeb Noland and Jason Brown have legitimate candidacy for this award, while Vann and White were the most consistent offensive playmakers in 2021.
That said, Foster was the heart and soul of the South Carolina defense and a player the Gamecocks simply couldn’t have been without in Beamer’s first fall as head coach.
Make your pick: Vote below
