Coming into the Garnet and Black Game, there are some obvious questions. Will new head coach Will Muschamp and his coaching staff make an immediate positive impact come September? Who’s going to start at quarterback? Who’s going to be the main weapon on offense? But among these broader questions are more pressing and specific issues that could be addressed during the spring game.
Will the defense get more than 20 sacks this year?
For the past two years since the departure of Jadeveon Clowney, the pass rush has been severely lacking. In 2014, the defense registered only 14 sacks, dead last in the SEC. Former head coach Steve Spurrier attempted to address the issue by recruiting top-tier defensive line talent, like junior college transfers Marquavius Lewis (a five-star by Scout.com) and Dante Sawyer and freshmen four-star prospects Shameik Blackshear and Dexter Wideman. However, the improvements were marginal. The Gamecocks only had 20 sacks all season, good for third-to-last in the SEC. South Carolina will have to pressure the quarterback in to win games next year. While we won’t see redshirt senior Darius English, who lead the team in sacks with 4.5 last year, junior Dante Sawyer and sophomore Blackshear on the line due to injury, there is still plenty of talent to watch out for. Lewis, senior Kelsey Griffin, junior Taylor Stallworth, sophomore Boosie Whitlow, Wideman and freshmen Kobe Smith and Keir Thomas will all play this spring. The Garnet and Black game will be a good way to determine the pass rush this upcoming season.
Who’s going to catch the ball?
With departures of Pharoh Cooper and Jerell Adams to the NFL draft and D.J. Neal to transfer, there is a giant gap in the receiver position. Between the goblets of young talent at the receiver and tight end position, the obvious choice is redshirt sophomore Deebo Samuel. He reeled in 12 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown, but he was injured for most of the season and only played in five games. He showcased his talent against Clemson when he caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. True freshman and in-state talent Bryan Edwards is expected to start, but like any other true freshman, nobody knows how his high school talent will transfer to the collegiate level. Behind him, redshirt senior Matrick Belton and redshirt sophomore Terry Googer could use their size to their advantage and potentially earn a spot in the starting lineup; however, they haven’t seen the field much, and Googer might not play in the game due to an ankle sprain. Redshirt freshman Christian Owens was a highly rated receiver coming out of high school and could use the Garnet and Black game to springboard himself into the rotation. Sophomore and former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Hayden Hurst will be running routes out of his tight end position and will be a big target for whomever slings the pigskin this fall.
Who steps up in the secondary?
Right now, nobody has a clear lead in any of the secondary positions, and it seems as though coach Muschamp sees everyone as equal talent. On the first team, sophomore Rashad Fenton and redshirt senior Rico McWilliams will be the cornerbacks and redshirt juniors Jasper Sasser and Toure Boyd will man the safety spots. With that being said, those playing behind the expected starters are a mixture of experienced players and young talent. Junior D.J. Smith saw the field every game last year and recorded 22 tackles. Junior Chris Lammons has played in games since he was a true freshman and is the only returning member of the secondary with an interception. Redshirt senior Chaz Elder has logged downs in 26 games at safety. Throw in a couple of new guys in freshmen Chris Smith and Antoine Wilder, who was redshirted last year to help rehab his knee, and the field will be very competitive. One thing Muschamp will be looking for is someone who brings confidence and swagger to the field, a player who can play like their coach used to back in his safety days at Georgia.