First-year head coach Will Muschamp closed out SEC Media Days with confidence despite ambiguity Thursday. Three players joined Muschamp on the trip to Hoover, Alabama: wide receiver Deebo Samuel, offensive tackle Mason Zandi and defender Marquavius Lewis.
Muschamp enters his first full year as head coach of the Gamecocks with more questions than answers, inheriting a 3-9 team that only returns four starters on offense and six starters on defense.
Despite replacing the legendary Steve Spurrier on the sidelines, Muschamp conceded that he can't provide the same level of vocal entertainment in the media room. “I’m going to go ahead and tell you I’m going to disappoint you now,” Coach Boom said.
Before getting to hot-button issues, Muschamp offered some thoughtful words about his predecessor.
“I want to thank Coach Spurrier for what he did at the University of South Carolina and what he did for the Southeastern Conference in the 1990s," he said. He "did an amazing job for our league and for college athletics.”
Muschamp didn’t offer a clear perspective on South Carolina’s expectations for the 2016 season, admitting that there are “a lot of unknowns on our roster right now” from a group of players that “was a beat-down bunch" when he arrived in December. Not only that, but the Gamecocks are still looking for a quarterback this fall. It appears to be a two-horse race at the position for now, according to Muschamp.
“Perry (Orth) and Brandon (McIlwain) distanced themselves in the spring. Both of those guys did a good job for us," he said before later adding that freshman Jake Bentley is still in the competition.
Michael Scarnecchia had surgery to repair a torn labrum, and he will miss the season, further narrowing the competition.
While uncertainties are robust, Muschamp displays confidence in the front seven and the kicking game. “I feel comfortable in the front seven [and] feel really good about our specialist situation — Elliott Fry, Sean Kelly and Drew Williams as a snapper.”
While 2016 could be a rebuilding season, Muschamp displayed belief that he could turn South Carolina into a winner again soon through recruiting the talent-rich Southeast.
“I think within a five-hour radius of our campus, we can recruit good enough people to win the East every year,” he said.
And while Muschamp does field a young roster, he maintains the belief that the Gamecocks have "some very talented players.” That talent can’t be developed without the proper plan for success, and Muschamp’s plan is not long term.
“There is no three-year plan, five-year plan,” according to the South Carolina coach. "They plan to win," he said of the team. "That's my mentality."
An inexperienced team in the nation’s toughest conference, South Carolina faces many challenges in the fall of 2016. However, a fresh start with Muschamp should produce hardworking players that believe in the system. Despite playing the nation’s 31st toughest schedule, there are some winnable games. If the pieces fall in place, the Gamecocks could meet the expectation of winning six of their games or more.