5 players we’re watching closely in South Carolina’s spring game Saturday
South Carolina is closing out spring practice in style.
The Gamecocks will play their annual Garnet and Black spring game on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Here’s a look at some of the players to watch in the scrimmage:
QB Spencer Rattler
This one shouldn’t come as any surprise, but almost all eyes around 7 p.m. on Saturday will be fixated on Oklahoma quarterback import Spencer Rattler.
Rattler comes into the year as one of the most — if not the most — talented quarterbacks to ever sign with South Carolina. He entered last year as a Heisman Trophy front-runner before things went off the rails in Norman. He’s hoping for a bounce-back in Columbia.
Early returns on Rattler have been good, but it’s hard to get a real sense from reporters’ limited viewing windows at practice. This will be the first and only true look we’ll get at the former five-star quarterback before the season opener against Georgia State on Sept. 3
WR Antwane ‘Juice’ Wells Jr.
If Rattler has drawn the most hype of anyone on the roster this spring, Antwane “Juice” Wells is a close second.
Wells set school records for yards receiving, touchdowns receiving and receptions a season ago at James Madison. He also ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in those categories despite playing just 22 games for the Dukes.
Wells is expected to be a major addition to a receiving corps that’s suddenly far deeper than it was a year ago. We’ll get to see his ability on full display on Saturday alongside the likes of Josh Vann, Xavier Legette and a handful of others.
RB MarShawn Lloyd
It’s hard to believe MarShawn Lloyd is entering his third year at South Carolina.
Lloyd came to Columbia as the 11th-best recruit in USC history, per 247Sports. A torn ACL washed out his first season, while nagging injuries and a crowded room limited how effective he could be in 2021.
Now, though, Lloyd feels like a safe bet to be the starting tailback along with, or ahead of, Wake Forest transfer Christian Beal-Smith entering the summer.
Saturday should be the closest to full health we’ve seen Lloyd since he got to South Carolina. If he can get back to the form that made him such a high-profile recruit, USC ought to feel pretty good about where its backfield stands.
S Devonni Reed
Losing Jaylan Foster — a second team All-American in 2021 — was certainly a blow, but Central Michigan transfer Devonni Reed is a logical piece to at least partially replace his production.
Reed recorded over 200 tackles during his time with the Chippewas and was a third-team All-MAC honoree a season ago. He’s the most realistic choice to slide into that vacated safety spot alongside returner R.J. Roderick.
The Detroit native has drawn praise for his work this spring. Should he get to size up Rattler and a handful of the first-team offensive players Saturday, it’ll give a glimpse of what he’ll bring to a secondary that should be a strength this fall.
DE Jordan Burch
Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare is gone. So, too, is Aaron Sterling. But the cupboard isn’t exactly bare at defensive end.
The only prospect in the history of modern recruiting to sign with South Carolina who was ranked ahead of Jordan Burch was Jadeveon Clowney in 2011. That said, Burch hasn’t fully cracked into the lineup in the way it was once hoped when he signed with the hometown Gamecocks out of Hammond School.
With Enagbare and Sterling gone, this is the year most circle Burch as a possible difference-maker alongside former Georgia State transfer Jordan Strachan. Both will be on display this week as they try to boost their NFL Draft stocks with a strong season.
How to watch South Carolina spring game
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 16
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium — Columbia, SC
Watch: Streaming on SEC Network Plus
