W
Wes Mitchell
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FOOTBALL NOTES
** South Carolina started its NFL-style OTA workouts two Fridays ago which added another 12 hours per week of team activities to the eight per week that was previously allowed. That model layers on actual on-field walkthroughs with a ball and the coaches on the field (no pads) along with increased meeting time and the strength and conditioning and player-only work that were already taking place. As of Friday, South Carolina was still scheduled to start its actual preseason camp on Aug. 7 (that could change I suppose), but the plan will be more spread out with the three extra weeks of work now before the season starts.
** With around a week and a half of those activities in the books, we've started to hear things here and there. Obviously, the quarterback battle has been a big topic of discussion among South Carolina fans this summer and we'll reiterate what we've been saying since January, this is a true battle between Collin Hill and Ryan Hilinski.
What has led to some increased buzz around Hill? I'd say it's that he's been able to start to show off his arm talent to the team after missing the spring while rehabbing his knee. Hill is a big, pro-style quarterback and we're told he throws a beautiful, catchable ball and that he also throws a great deep ball. I say that to give everyone an idea of what to expect of him as a player. As we've said many times, he has a strong understanding of this offense and what Mike Bobo wants out of it and has done a great job early on of getting acclimated to the team and helping his teammates learn the scheme.
Hilinski had a strong spring and impressed Bobo by all accounts, so it should be a very intriguing battle to follow. Nothing is a lock and the best player will win.
** South Carolina's running back room got the added bonus of ZaQuandre White when he officially arrived on Saturday (as expected) and that solidifies the feeling within the program that we've conveyed since the class was signed: the running back position is in good hands.
I'm told that White looks great physically and appears to have shown up on campus in good shape. Another source familiar with his game from his JUCO and HS days tells me that he's got good hands and should be capable of helping out in the passing game.
No surprise here, but MarShawn Lloyd has continued to impress in the OTAs and continues to have his eyes set on the No. 1 spot. His explosiveness continues to stand out.
Good news on both of Carolina's returning backs too. After flashing last season but dealing with injuries, Kevin Harris is moving around well and should be a big part of the running back rotation conversation. Deshaun Fenwick has clearly worked hard in Paul Jackson's strength and conditioning system and has dropped from a listed 230 pounds to 220 pounds and appears quicker than he did a season ago.
Rashad Amos rounds out a talented bunch and as I've said many times, don't count him out.
** The wide receiver position is probably the most talked about this offseason and probably still has the biggest question marks on the team.
Shi Smith will clearly be counted on to be the top guy. Smith can play one of the outside spots or in the slot and which he plays more will likely be determined by which other receivers step up. I think you could see a push to play him more outside, but that's more speculation on my part that anything.
We've talked ad nauseam about the other receivers and who will be counted on the most (other than Shi) this season. The more I hear, the more I think that Xavier Legette is the one to watch as far as being the most likely to step into that role as the staff is high on him and there's a lot of upside/potential there. Obviously, he's still learning the intricacies of the position but there's hope that he could sort of be the No. 2.
Dakereon Joyner is still learning the position, but has flashed and will help this year. Keep an eye on
Rico Powers as a freshman who could step in and help. He's a good player and is going to help this team at some point.
** Nick Muse looks to be full-go and should play a huge role in the passing game and take a little pressure off the receivers.
Who does the scheme change possibly help the most? Look out for Will Register as a darkhorse and the forgotten man to help some on offense. This is an offense that needs a tight end to set the edge and provide some size at times and Register could take advantage of that.
** South Carolina fans have been spoiled by having a punter like Joe Charlton for the last few years, but I was told there's a reason Kai Kroeger was recruited the way he was by this staff. He's got a cannon of a leg in his own right.
** I expect there to be some type of clarity this week on both South Carolina's football schedule for this season and on how social distancing at Williams-Brice Stadium is going to work.
As Chris pointed out in this post, there are a number of different scenarios that have been looked at to determine the additional two SEC teams to be added, but we haven't heard anything concrete on which two it will be. I do expect that information early this week.
Ray Tanner guessed last week that just north of 20,000 is number to look at as the potential cap on fans in Williams-Brice Stadium this fall. While Tanner reiterated that it was just a guess, my guess is that it was a quite educated one.
While many have wondered and questioned what the plan will be and when it will be put out, it's been near impossible for the university to put out an official plan prior to now due to the ever-changing nature of the virus and the potential local mandates that could be in place by then. The state only recently allowed for sporting events to start back again and South Carolina will have to have its social distancing plan approved this week before it can go public with that plan.
While on a smaller scale, the Blowfish baseball games, for anyone who has been this summer, offer a perfect example for what that may look like with small groups of seats sold together and then room to either side and rows those seats blocked off and all staff wearing masks. One thing that Tanner did mention during his Zoom call last week is that wearing a mask for three hours in the Columbia heat may not be advised, but my guess is they will ask fans to wear a mask while entering the stadium and while not in their seats (like you have to do in a restaurant right now) and then allow them to be removed once seated. Tanner said pre-boxed "grab and go" type meals are probably more likely for concessions and I'm guessing there will be more stringent entry gate guidelines than the usual "enter any gate" mold used.
Once the actual model is presented and approved, then Carolina can move to the issue of who gets tickets. My guess is that you're looking at some combination of season ticket holders, students, band and the players' families. What exactly those percentages will look like will be approved by the Gamecock Club Board of Directors and then announced soon.
RECRUITING NOTES
** Beach (Ga.) Savannah class of 2021 three-star running back Antario Brown has been eyeing Aug. 5 for his decision for some time and now he's locked in on 4:30 as a commitment time. Brown is down to South Carolina and Virginia Tech with Des Kitchings leading the way for the Gamecocks. Our feeling has been that the Gamecocks are in good shape here for some time and I see no reason to change that now.
** Oakboro (N.C.) West Stanly class of 2021 three-star linebacker Jordan Poole Tweeted out yesterday that a commitment could be coming "soon." South Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia Tech have all been in the running for what's appeared to be a close battle, but right now there's considerable buzz around N.C. State.
** South Carolina offered Greenville (S.C.) class of 2022 OL Collin Sadler a few weeks ago and Sadler has seen his offer list continue to expand as he closes in on 30 offers. Sadler is taking a controlled approach to the process and he wants to cut his list in half relatively soon. He visited South Carolina in the spring and told us that his mom graduated from USC, but I get the sense that it will be hard for anyone to unseat Clemson in his recruitment when all is said and done.
** Gaffney (S.C.) class of 2021 three-star DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has continued to look towards making a decision fairly soon and has told some that could mean this month. I continue to believe that South Carolina is in the best shape here, though the title of "biggest competition" for Carolina has appeared to shift throughout the process. One person I spoke with thought that Tennessee may be the other school to watch here.
** South Carolina offered Shillington (Penn.) Govenor Mifflin class of 2022 four-star running back Nicholas Singleton last year when Thomas Brown was the RBs coach and that recruitment has continued as he's been prioritized by Des Kitchings. Singleton has a massive offer list with schools like Ohio State and Penn State heavily on him (he said earlier in the summer at OSU leads), but the big-time back visited South Carolina for the Clemson game last year and has family in the Columbia area.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder has elite film and timed at 4.59 seconds in the 40 and 4.08 seconds in the shuttle at The Opening while vertical jumping just over 36 inches. All of that to go along with the fact he rushed for nearly 1700 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore last season.
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