Gamecocks ready to trim depth chart, playbook
It’s time for South Carolina to get down to business.
That was coach Steve Spurrier’s message after Wednesday’s practice, the team’s 15th of the preseason.
“We definitely are coaching way too many guys right now to try to be polished,” Spurrier said. “Right now, we have too many guys rotating in. It’s hard for them to know everything. We have to get some guys out there playing this week that are going to play in the game.”
South Carolina’s players will have Thursday off so they can concentrate on the first day of classes, and Spurrier said the coaches will spend the day, “putting a little bit of a depth chart together.”
When the team returns to the practice field on Friday, some players will be doing more standing and watching than taking part in team drills.
“We are coaching about 15 or 16 receivers, and I think 10 or 11 of those guys are first-year guys, so it’s sort of helter-skelter on the offense,” Spurrier said. “We have to hone in and act like we can coach a little bit better than we are doing.”
The playbook also is going to get trimmed. The offensive coaches have been evaluating a lot of plays the first two weeks, and the results have been too sloppy for Spurrier’s taste.
“We haven’t coached very well,” Spurrier said. “We have to give them a list (of plays) that they can learn and know what to do.”
The Gamecocks will hold their second preseason scrimmage on Saturday morning, and it’s expected to be closed because the team will be working more on its defensive and offensive game plans than it did in last week’s open scrimmage, Spurrier said.
Making an impact
Out of football for two years before playing at Hartnell College for one season and signing with South Carolina in February, Ernest Hawkins didn’t know what to expect from major college football.
“I came in, and I just wanted to try to make an impact for this team immediately,” the 6-foot-1, 224-pound sophomore said.
He has found himself in a battle with junior Larenz Bryant for the starting strongside linebacker job, linebackers coach Kirk Botkin said.
“It’s going good,” Hawkins said. “Every day, we come out here and try to win the day. I feel good that I am getting reps, so it shows that I am in the mix.”
Injury update
Defensive end Cedrick Cooper (illness), offensive lineman Cody Waldrop (shoulder), safety D.J. Smith (knee strain), safety Antoine Wilder (knee), tight end Connor Redmond (back) and kicker Joseph Charlton (back) did not practice because of injury or illness.
Up next
Spurrier’s first call-in show is at 7 p.m. on Thursday. ... The Gamecocks next will practice at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. It is closed to the public.
This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 10:56 AM.