What’s new with USC’s offense? Here’s a depth chart projection entering the summer
South Carolina’s offense is off and running toward the 2022 season.
With an influx of talent via the transfer portal and a low bar to clear after a much-maligned 2021 campaign, the Gamecocks and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield are in a much better place now than they were a year ago.
Here’s a look at what the depth chart should look like entering the offseason:
Quarterback
Starter: Spencer Rattler
Backups: Luke Doty, Colten Gauthier
Not much has changed here.
Spencer Rattler remains the odds-on favorite to remain the starter throughout 2022 barring anything completely unforeseen.
Rattler looked solid in his spring game debut, completing 8 of 10 passes for 79 yards. One of his two misfires also came on a deep ball that just missed the outstretched hands of receiver Josh Vann.
Behind Rattler, Luke Doty should still be the guy. He looked fully healthy during the April 16 spring game as he connected on 7 of his 10 throws, including a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver/tight end Chad Terrell.
Gauthier is still raw entering his second season at South Carolina, but the physical traits are there to like what he could become down the line. It’s expected he’ll battle with Braden Davis — who enrolled as a midyear prospect — and four-star recruit Tanner Bailey for that No. 3 spot.
Walk-on Jake Helfrich also did some nice things during the spring game, most notably a 34-yard dime to Payton Mangrum. The Charlotte native should get some looks with the scout team at the very least.
Running back
Starter: MarShawn Lloyd
Backups: Christian Beal-Smith, Juju McDowell, Lovasea Carroll
After 15 practices, I still don’t know what to make of the South Carolina running back room.
MarShawn Lloyd certainly looks the part in the way he dipped and dived around defenders during the spring game. Assuming he stays healthy, he is a good bet to be the lead back come the season opener against Georgia State on Sept. 3.
Sophomore Juju McDowell also figures to get plenty of run. His 57 yards on six touches led all running backs during the spring game as he flashed the speed and versatility that made him such a dynamic option for the Gamecocks last year.
Transfers Christian Beal-Smith (Wake Forest) and Lovasea Carroll (Georgia) also did some nice things in the spring game, while Rashad Amos should get some time at both running back and H-back depending how this room shakes out.
Satterfield has said he wants to have one lead back this fall. Lloyd feels like he’ll be the guy, but the Gamecocks are going to be deep at running back again this year.
Receiver
Starters: Josh Vann, Antwane “Juice” Wells, Dakereon Joyner
Backups: Xavier Legette, Ahmarean Brown, Corey Rucker, Landon Samson
Josh Vann was South Carolina’s leading receiver by a mile last fall and he figures to be a focal point of the offense once more in 2022.
Vann caught just one pass for eight yards in the spring game, but he was targeted a handful of other times. He’ll be a big part of what USC does this year.
The biggest development at receiver this spring has been the emergence of James Madison transfer Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. The ex-Duke is a freak athlete and lined up all over the formation in the spring game, even receiving a handoff at one point. He’s a bit under the radar in national circles, but he’s got All-SEC-type ability if he stays in the mix.
Xavier Legette received rave reviews all spring about the work he did over the winter. He looks bigger, faster and stronger and is a likely candidate to help in the red zone and as a matchup problem in the middle of the field alongside some combination of Vann and Wells.
Dakereon Joyner didn’t play in the spring game due to injury, but should be a factor in the slot. The same can be said for Ahmarean Brown, who flashed during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina on Dec. 31.
South Carolina is also adding Arkansas State’s Corey Rucker via the transfer portal. Rucker was a star for the Red Wolves the last two seasons, despite middling quarterback play. If he’s not a factor this year, he should be in 2023.
Tight end
Starters: Austin Stogner, Jaheim Bell
Backups: Traevon Kenion, Zavier Short
It’s hard to calculate exactly what South Carolina is going to do at tight end given Jaheim Bell’s versatility, but he’ll be in the mix regardless of where his true position resides.
Bell missed the bulk of the spring with a hamstring injury that isn’t expected to be an issue come fall. Satterfield has classified him as a “wide back” and indicated he’ll line up in a handful of different spots. Bell is an absolute freak athlete and a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. He’ll get plenty of run in 2022.
Oklahoma transfer Austin Stogner should also be a big part of the offense as soon as he gets onto campus in the coming months. Stogner was a big piece of what landed Rattler in Columbia, and the two already have a chemistry dating back to their time in Norman.
Behind Bell and Stogner, Traevon Kenion looked promising in a more prominent role due to injuries in the tight end room. He’ll be a nice depth piece and a potential starter a year from now.
South Carolina should also see Chad Terrell get a handful of snaps at tight end. His 31-yard touchdown was among the highlights from the spring game, and the sixth-year senior may finally have carved out a role in his transition from receiver to tight end this spring.
Offensive line
Starters: Jaylen Nichols (LT) , Vershon Lee (LG) , Eric Douglas (C), Jovaughn Gwyn (RG) Dylan Wonnum (RT)
Backups: Jakai Moore, Tyshawn Wannamaker, Hank Manos
This group looks a bit different from what we projected at the beginning of the spring, but it stayed largely the same.
The only real change here is that Dylan Wonnum should slide into a starting role assuming he can get healthy from the back injury that ended his 2021 season and limited him this spring.
It’s no a secret the offensive line struggled last season. The Gamecocks ranked dead last in the SEC in pass blocking and 10th of 14 teams in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. Another year of continuity ought to help those numbers, even if it is incremental.
The starting group of Jaylen Nichols, Vershon Lee, Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn and Tyshawn Wannamaker looked closer to form in the spring game, paving the way for 93 yards rushing split between McDowell, Caroll and Beal-Smith. If South Carolina can better force a run game, it only stands to help a set of skill position players in the passing game that should rank in the top half of the league off pure talent.
This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
