W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
The debate of whether or not the Gamecocks should bring in graduate transfer Tavien Feaster is over -- if you ever really considered it to be a debate in the first place -- and now it's time to finally dive into what the former Clemson running back can bring to South Carolina this season.
As I've said previously, this one is pretty simple for me, does Feaster make the Gamecocks a better football team? If yes, then pursue, and that's exactly what happened. Feaster, without question, makes the Gamecocks better this season, but the real question now is, what are realistic expectations for the former high four-star prospect from Spartanburg?
I like to look at these situations in terms of best case, worst case and middle ground. I'd say chances are that usually the middle ground is where reality lies, but there are so many variables involved that only time will tell exactly how much of an impact that Feaster will have.
The absolute best case scenario here for South Carolina is that Feaster enters the program for the start of fall practice, quickly learns the offense, and becomes the all-around running back that the program has been missing really since Mike Davis 2.0 was in school.
Will Muschamp has talked openly about the need for consistent play at the position and for a back to show the ability to make defenders miss and get the extra bull yards on short yardage situations where blocking can deteriorate due to the defense selling out for the run. Feaster, who was the No. 3 all-purpose back in his class, has the potential to be an every-down back and a home run threat from the position.
Also of note is that Carolina's backs have struggled to consistently catch the football. I get the impression that the Carolina offensive staff has wanted for the backs to be a bigger part of the passing game and Feaster - a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver during his junior year in high school -- has the ability to do that. In a best-case scenario, Feaster comes in and hits the ground running, pushes Rico Dowdle, who is able to stay healthy for his senior season, and the two form a strong 1-2 punch, which allows A.J. Turner to concentrate on defensive back where the Gamecocks are talented but thin. Also, thinking out loud, would you take a hard look at Feaster at kickoff returner? With the loss of the best in school history there in Deebo Samuel, that's an interesting position battle that hasn't been talked about as much.
Even in the darkest timeline, so to speak, I still believe Feaster makes the Gamecocks a better football team, but I'd say the worst case scenario is that Feaster struggles to find running room or make defenders miss against the uptick in the quality of defenses he'll face now compared to what he saw on a regular basis at Clemson. Playing running back in the SEC is a weekly grind and the holes are smaller with better pursuit speed across the board from defensive linemen stretching plays to the outside, linebackers running sideline to sideline and safeties cutting down plays that could have gone for breakaways. At the very least, Feaster is going to provide a solid running threat and create better depth for the position, but I'd say the worst care scenario is that he provides that and that only.
Finding some middle ground here, would look something like this: Feaster comes in and splits time with Dowdle as he gets more comfortable in the system and both senior players push each other to form a good, but not great, 1-2 punch at running back. Feaster will likely get more and more comfortable as the year goes on and, again, should be able to add an extra dimension to the Carolina offense as a receiving threat out of the backfield.
From that point, the divide from good to great becomes whether or not Feaster (or a healthy, driven Dowdle for that matter) can consistently provide that extra ability to make defenders miss and turn a zero-yard run into a first down or a five-yard run into a chunk play.
That is what the Carolina offense has been consistently missing and it intertwines with a couple of noticeable trends. The top offenses in college football - the ones who make it to the College Football Playoff -- almost all have a gamebreaker, if not multiple gamebreakers, at running back. And that Carolina's offense last year was at its best when it had a running game to fall back on. When first-year playcaller Bryan McClendon had the running game at his disposal, it opened up the entire offense including the explosive passing plays that the scheme seems to rely on while also allowing the offense to stay on the field when it needed to (a point of emphasis for this season, I believe, given the terrible time of possession last year.)
If Feaster can be close to that type of running back, then the ceiling for this offense moves up quite a few notches.
As I've said previously, this one is pretty simple for me, does Feaster make the Gamecocks a better football team? If yes, then pursue, and that's exactly what happened. Feaster, without question, makes the Gamecocks better this season, but the real question now is, what are realistic expectations for the former high four-star prospect from Spartanburg?
I like to look at these situations in terms of best case, worst case and middle ground. I'd say chances are that usually the middle ground is where reality lies, but there are so many variables involved that only time will tell exactly how much of an impact that Feaster will have.
The absolute best case scenario here for South Carolina is that Feaster enters the program for the start of fall practice, quickly learns the offense, and becomes the all-around running back that the program has been missing really since Mike Davis 2.0 was in school.
Will Muschamp has talked openly about the need for consistent play at the position and for a back to show the ability to make defenders miss and get the extra bull yards on short yardage situations where blocking can deteriorate due to the defense selling out for the run. Feaster, who was the No. 3 all-purpose back in his class, has the potential to be an every-down back and a home run threat from the position.
Also of note is that Carolina's backs have struggled to consistently catch the football. I get the impression that the Carolina offensive staff has wanted for the backs to be a bigger part of the passing game and Feaster - a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver during his junior year in high school -- has the ability to do that. In a best-case scenario, Feaster comes in and hits the ground running, pushes Rico Dowdle, who is able to stay healthy for his senior season, and the two form a strong 1-2 punch, which allows A.J. Turner to concentrate on defensive back where the Gamecocks are talented but thin. Also, thinking out loud, would you take a hard look at Feaster at kickoff returner? With the loss of the best in school history there in Deebo Samuel, that's an interesting position battle that hasn't been talked about as much.
Even in the darkest timeline, so to speak, I still believe Feaster makes the Gamecocks a better football team, but I'd say the worst case scenario is that Feaster struggles to find running room or make defenders miss against the uptick in the quality of defenses he'll face now compared to what he saw on a regular basis at Clemson. Playing running back in the SEC is a weekly grind and the holes are smaller with better pursuit speed across the board from defensive linemen stretching plays to the outside, linebackers running sideline to sideline and safeties cutting down plays that could have gone for breakaways. At the very least, Feaster is going to provide a solid running threat and create better depth for the position, but I'd say the worst care scenario is that he provides that and that only.
Finding some middle ground here, would look something like this: Feaster comes in and splits time with Dowdle as he gets more comfortable in the system and both senior players push each other to form a good, but not great, 1-2 punch at running back. Feaster will likely get more and more comfortable as the year goes on and, again, should be able to add an extra dimension to the Carolina offense as a receiving threat out of the backfield.
From that point, the divide from good to great becomes whether or not Feaster (or a healthy, driven Dowdle for that matter) can consistently provide that extra ability to make defenders miss and turn a zero-yard run into a first down or a five-yard run into a chunk play.
That is what the Carolina offense has been consistently missing and it intertwines with a couple of noticeable trends. The top offenses in college football - the ones who make it to the College Football Playoff -- almost all have a gamebreaker, if not multiple gamebreakers, at running back. And that Carolina's offense last year was at its best when it had a running game to fall back on. When first-year playcaller Bryan McClendon had the running game at his disposal, it opened up the entire offense including the explosive passing plays that the scheme seems to rely on while also allowing the offense to stay on the field when it needed to (a point of emphasis for this season, I believe, given the terrible time of possession last year.)
If Feaster can be close to that type of running back, then the ceiling for this offense moves up quite a few notches.
