Gamecocks measure up

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says he doesn’t know who will start at quarterback. But whether it is Connor Mitch, Perry Orth, Michael Scarnecchia or Lorenzo Nunez, they ought to be well protected by the offensive line.

The Gamecocks have two of college football’s biggest players listed as starting tackles on the preseason depth chart.

Mason Zandi, who at 6-foot-9 and 314 pounds is the tallest player on the team, is the co-starter at right tackle along with senior Mike Matulis.

Brandon Shell, who at 6-foot-6 and 328 pounds is the heaviest player on the team, is shifting to left tackle after starting on the right side for the past three seasons

Zandi is so big that he earned a spot on NFL.com’s list of 15 biggest players. The junior from Chapin has played offensive tackle and tight end with one start. He missed most of the spring with a hamstring injury.

Shell, the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Art Shell, is a fifth-year senior from Goose Creek. He brings a streak of 35 consecutive starts into the season.

From Staff Reports

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 3:56 PM.