QB Brandon McIlwain gets turn with Gamecocks’ first team
South Carolina’s football team held its second completely open practice of the August preseason Tuesday. Below are some observations:
▪ Quarterback Brandon McIlwain got his turn with the starters, while Perry Orth and Jake Bentley split time with the backups.
▪ Safety D.J. Smith spent some time at nickel, with JUCO defensive back Steven Montac moving to safety.
▪ Sadarius Hutcherson got a few snaps as the No. 2 left tackle, with Malik Young at right tackle. Eventually Young shifted left with Blake Camper on the right side.
▪ Freshman tight end Kiel Pollard also got a few snaps at tight end with the starters.
▪ Montac was in a yellow no-contact jersey, as was nickelback/safety Jordan Diggs. Both practiced, though Diggs was more limited. Diggs left Monday’s open practice with an undisclosed issue after colliding with offensive lineman D.J. Park.
▪ Junior cornerback Jamarcus King was working with the No. 1 defense in a late team drill. King also had an athletic interception in red-zone work.
▪ Senior cornerback Rico McWilliams was not present at practice for the second day in a row, but no reason has been given as to why.
▪ There were more looks with the Buck, including Bryson Allen-Williams slotted there, giving a 3-3-5 look to the defense. Allen-Williams said the coaches called it their “Cinco package.”
▪ Sean Kelly was back punting after missing Monday, while Joseph Charlton continued launching some high and deep kicks.
▪ Jake Bentley got more work against the starting defense when the rest of the QBs and receivers were off doing another drill. Several players said they were not told a specific reason for the drill, but guessed it was to get the young passer more reps. Bentley had a few nice throws, including a long one across the field to receiver Shemar Glenn and a practice-ender to a streaking Matrick Belton.
▪ Freshman wide receiver Bryan Edwards had a couple tough catches, including one where he had to fight for inside position on the goal line.
▪ Running backs A.J. Turner and Rod Talley each had long runs against the second-team defense.
▪ Hayden Hurst had a nice catch-and-run late in practice.
This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 9:51 PM with the headline "QB Brandon McIlwain gets turn with Gamecocks’ first team."