Three burning questions South Carolina must answer before spring practice begins
South Carolina capped its 2021 season on a high note last week.
USC finished Shane Beamer’s first fall as the head coach in Columbia by throttling North Carolina 38-21 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. And while there’s a lot of optimism surrounding the Gamecocks right now, there’s a handful of questions to answer between now and the start of spring ball in mid-March.
Here are three big questions that South Carolina is facing:
What, if anything, are the Gamecocks going to do at offensive coordinator?
South Carolina offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield had been deemed a dead man walking for months by those outside the program. Beamer, though, has adamantly stuck by Satterfield through a season both men concede wasn’t up to par offensively.
The Gamecocks ranked 11th in the league in rushing and 13th in passing, scoring and total offense. That won’t fly most years in Columbia.
South Carolina’s romp of North Carolina silenced some doubters as the Gamecocks racked up 543 total yards and over 300 yards on the ground. In theory, it was a preview of what the offense could look like when clicking on all cylinders.
Couple the bowl game success with having to start four different quarterbacks this fall — a borderline death knell for just about any offensive staff — and there’s enough to feel the Gamecocks’ issues were as much about awful luck and general inconsistency as anything else.
Oklahoma transfers Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner give the Gamecocks two legitimate stars to work with in 2022. Add in whatever other transfer portal additions will be made over the coming months and the Gamecocks could flip an offensive switch quickly.
For what it’s worth, Satterfield’s contract buyout dropped from $300,000 to $200,000 after Jan. 1, according to documents obtained by The State.
Crazier things have happened, but giving Satterfield another shot to run the offense with a handful of legitimate playmakers and — in theory — more stability at the quarterback position might be the move for a program that has had five different offensive coordinators since 2015.
That isn’t to say there won’t be any staff changes. In modern college football, coaches bounce between jobs year to year. It’s hard to imagine Beamer’s staff stays exactly as is. Who does depart — whether they’re asked to or if a better opportunity arises — remains to be seen.
Who fills in at needed spots on USC’s defense?
Clayton White deserves praise and then some for the work he and his staff did flipping what was projected as a historically bad South Carolina defense entering the season.
The Gamecocks finished second in the SEC in passing defense and sixth in total defense in 2021. By contrast, USC capped the 2020 season seventh in passing defense and 10th in total defense in the conference.
Now comes the hard part: replicating that success.
All-American safety Jaylan Foster has exhausted his eligibility and is off to the NFL. Edge lineman Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare has also chosen to pursue a professional career.
The Gamecocks received good news over the weekend when safety R.J. Roderick announced his return. South Carolina will also bring back Edge Jordan Strachan — who announced his return on Tuesday — defensive lineman Zacch Pickens and linebackers Brad Johnson and Sherrod Greene to comprise the core of the 2022 defense.
The next few weeks should help resolve how much help the Gamecocks might need out of the transfer portal. A linebacker could bolster the depth of that room. Another safety might help mitigate the loss of Foster as well.
It’s not out of the question that South Carolina looks to add another defensive lineman even if it also brings Strachan and potentially defensive tackle Rick Sandidge — who was hurt before the season began and could return.
The Gamecocks signed six players who are considered safeties in their 2022 recruiting class. Don’t be surprised if there is a freshman or two that enter the secondary mix next fall, too.
What other offensive pieces could South Carolina add this offseason?
The additions of Rattler and Stogner were at or near the top of South Carolina’s wish list. Who else could be added to the fray? That’s TBD.
The transfer portal is always going to be a bit of a moving target, but the Gamecocks have needs at receiver, running back and on the offensive line.
Leading receiver Josh Vann’s future remains up in the air as he weighs his NFL draft options. Vann proved to be USC’s most indispensable playmaker in 2021, recording 13 catches and almost 200 yards more than anyone else on the roster.
Whether Vann comes back or not, though, South Carolina needs another legitimate pass catching option. Stogner will help. So, too, will tight end Jaheim Bell — who could theoretically move into more of a receiver role.
Dakereon Joyner showed flashes — see the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as evidence — of the athleticism that made him a superstar high school player, but he’s yet to totally put it together at receiver. Georgia Tech transfer Ahmarean Brown also never quite cracked the lineup consistently enough to feel comfortable with the room at present.
Beyond receiver, South Carolina a running back import would make up for the NFL departures of Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White. MarShawn Lloyd and Juju McDowell figure to get their shot at being bell cows in 2022, but another body in addition to Rashad Amos would round things out there.
Offensive line, too, could be a need after the Gamecocks struggled throughout the season to find consistency up front. That said, transfer offensive linemen are fewer and further between than skill position guys — and it’s no guarantee they pan out.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
