Brandon Wilds, Shon Carson also will split carries with Davis
For most of the summer, South Carolina fans did not know which tailback would be walking out onto the field first when the season started. Finally, at the end of fall camp, they learned that sophomore Mike Davis would start against North Carolina.
But that does not mean that redshirt sophomores Brandon Wilds and Shon Carson are going to be out of the picture. Instead, runningbacks coach Everette Sands said all three would receive significant playing time.
Wilds is a proven rusher who recorded three 100-yard games in five career starts, all of which came his freshman year in place of Marcus Lattimore, who was injured. Wilds was redshirted last season after suffering a high ankle sprain.
Wilds reportedly gained strength and speed during his redshirt season and is now listed at 6 feet 2 inches tall and 223 pounds.
“I wanted to play, but it was better for me to sit out,” he said.
Carson’s time at South Carolina has been plagued by injuries. Carson tore his ACL during his second game, against Georgia and received a redshirt. After sitting out a year, Carson injured his wrist in 2012, keeping him out until the Outback Bowl win against Michigan.
Carson did not participate in spring practice because he was a member of the Gamecock’s baseball team. He turned down a chance to play professional baseball out of high school.
Carson said he thinks he brings a unique speed and ability to catch out of the backfield to the team. The former Lake City star will have an opportunity to return either punts or kickoffs, which he did early in his career at South Carolina.
Another tailback who might see some time on the field is true freshman David Williams, who came to South Carolina as a four-star recruit out of Philadelphia.
“I’m coming in here every day trying to compete and get the plays down, because I’m already behind the other guys,” Williams said. “I’m just going to keep working like I have been and improving day by day.”
While all these runningbacks will compete for the starting job, they all know they have the potential to get significant playing time, because Sands has said he believes in the two-runningback system that has sprouted up throughout college football and the NFL.