In 2013, it was linebackers. A year ago, defensive backs.
This year, South Carolina's recruiting class was all about beefing up its defensive line that underperformed tremendously last season.
National signing day concluded Wednesday night with the Gamecocks signing 32 recruits, seven of them on the defensive line.
Two incoming defensive linemen in defensive end Marquavius Lewis and defensive tackle Dexter Wideman already enrolled in January along with six other players. Linebackers Ernest Hawkins, Jalen Henry, Sherrod Pitman, punter Sean Kelly, wide receivers Christian Owens, Jerad Washington and defensive back Darin Smalls enrolled at the same time as Lewis and Wideman.
Of course, student-athletes who did not sign today have until April 1 to sign their letters of intent.
Both Lewis and Wideman are junior college transfers and round off a list of eight transfers who may see playing time as early as next season.
"We let them compete with the players who are here when they come in," head coach Steve Spurrier said, "and then if they’re a freshman and it doesn’t look like they’re going to play very much we’ll say, ‘Hey let’s go ahead and redshirt them.' We encourage every player coming in to compete for playing time."
Also, four of the eight defensive line prospects earned four stars coming out of either high school or junior college, meaning not only that they can come in and play, but also that they can come in and play at a high level.
Defensive line coach Deke Adams sees promise at the position that crippled the Gamecocks' defense so often last season — even in two-star defensive end Devante Covington, the lowest-rated player in South Carolina's class.
"[Covington] does a great job, plays with a high motor," Adams said. "He's a very quiet kid who's all about business. I'm excited about what he's going to bring. I think he's going to help us immediately getting pressure off the edge. We look forward to getting him on campus soon."
Covington has the size to be an effective pass rusher despite the low rating and general lack of interest from other schools. At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, his features favor Houston Texan J.J. Watt, who Spurrier alluded to at his annual signing day press conference.
"As you know, those three stars, four stars and five stars are just left up there on television," Spurrier said. "J.J. Watt ... he was a [two-star] recruit coming out of high school. They were saying he was a [two-star]; the best player in the NFL last year."
Watt, who won his second AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2014, favored Covington at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds coming out of high school.
In total, South Carolina signed one quarterback, two running backs, four wide receivers, two tight ends, five offensive linemen, four linebackers, five defensive backs, one kicker and one punter to accompany the seven defensive linemen that were signed Wednesday.
Spurrier also addressed rumors that South Carolina has hired Jon Hoke to oversee its defense.
"Tomorrow we will talk about the additional coach," he said. "I have not made it any secret that I hope to add a coach next year. Today we'll talk about these guys, and tomorrow we'll talk potentially a coach coming in and helping us."
Hoke served as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach under Spurrier at Florida from 1999 until 2001. More recently, Hoke has been the defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears since 2009.
Spurrier has noted several times that he does not plan on letting any coaches go, even if that means relegating a coach to an off-field position.