1. Redshirt senior Dylan Thompson Thompson has been waiting for this time for what I’m sure feels like forever. The reins of the offense are finally all his, but he would be wise to light up the scoreboard at Williams-Brice. The Head Ball Coach has a penchant for pulling his QB1—heck, he even did it to the eventual winningest quarterback in school history Connor Shaw. Regardless, the South Carolina coaching staff is confident in Thompson’s abilities. The fifth-year senior has an arsenal for an offense, too. A Heisman hopeful in the backfield paired with a bevy of talented receivers and an experienced offensive line should have Spurrier drooling at the possibilities.
2. Senior defensive back Brison Williams Williams will likely be the most experienced player whichever position he ends up at this year. He has been practicing as a cornerback during the offseason to compensate for South Carolina’s lack of bodies at the position. Although he’s penciled in at strong safety, Williams admitted that he’s leaning toward cornerback in terms of his positional preference. He currently has 24 starts to his name, and has played in 33 contests. Williams’ place in the defensive backfield will ultimately be determined by the speed at which the Gamecocks’ freshman corners can pick up the playbook.
3. Redshirt senior left guard A.J. Cann Often times you’ll hear a member of the offensive line referred to as an “anchor.” Well, if that’s the case, A.J. Cann is the anchor, chain and the ship. The six-foot-four 311-pound captain will be the key to opening up running lanes for teammate Mike Davis and keeping Dylan Thompson upright. Cann recently received recognition from ESPN, which ranked the fifth-year senior as the 54th-best player in college football heading into the 2014 season.
4. Sophomore linebacker Skai Moore Moore’s 2013 season embodied what most other South Carolina linebackers went through last year. The sophomore from Cooper City, Fla. was thrown into the fire last season, as the Gamecocks had a monumental hole to fill with their linebacking core. He played in all 13 games and garnered a Freshman All-SEC selection from the coaches. Moore had two interceptions in South Carolina’s 34-24 win over Wisconsin in the 2014 Capital One Bowl. He has the ability to play the pass and the run exceptionally well, and is poised for a solid sophomore season.
5. Junior running back Mike Davis Following a season where he rushed for a team-high 1,183 yards, Davis’ spot on this list is well deserved. His 2013 season was the fourth-best by a South Carolina running back if we only look at rushing yards. Only two other Gamecocks have rushed for more than 1,183 yards in a season: George Rogers (1979, 80) and Marcus Lattimore (2010). The job has belonged to Davis ever since he burst onto the scene against North Carolina last year, rushing 12 times for 115 yards and a touchdown. He was hobbled by a minor hamstring injury at the beginning of fall camp, but is expected to be ready for Texas A&M on Aug. 28.
6. Junior wide receiver Shaq Roland His experience should help Thompson’s transition into a starting quarterback be a seamless one. Roland came to Columbia as a highly touted wide receiver. He won South Carolina’s Mr. Football in 2012, but has failed to live up to the hype thus far. Roland has shown flashes of becoming the wide receiver he is capable of being, but this season, he must become a go-to, reliable receiver for Thompson lest he be phased out by another young, talented receiver, of which there are plenty on the Gamecock roster.
7. Freshman cornerback D.J. Smith Smith, along with fellow freshman corner Al Harris Jr., has been working out and familiarizing himself with the playbook all summer. Immediately, that puts him at an advantage over the talented incoming freshmen Chris Lammons and Wesley Green, who were granted eligibility in the final days of July. Smith has outstanding playmaking potential, and is a sure tackler. He made the transition to safety his senior year of high school after playing cornerback the previous two years, so he has the football IQ to come in and make an immediate impact, which is exactly what South Carolina’s defensive secondary needs.
8. Freshman linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams Allen-Williams may not make much of an impact on the South Carolina defense, especially during the first half of the season. And the reasoning for that is simple: South Carolina doesn’t need him to. The Gamecocks’ linebacking core is battle-tested, and is no longer seen as a weakness going into the season as it was last year. Allen-Williams is clearly the future of this defense; maybe not to the extent of another Jadeveon Clowney, but close.