Three burning questions for South Carolina to answer during preseason camp
South Carolina football is only a few weeks away from kickoff.
The Gamecocks open fall practice on Friday, while Shane Beamer’s second season in charge in Columbia begins on Sept. 3 against Georgia State.
Here are three lingering questions USC will have to answer during preseason camp. (Got questions you want answered about the team? Email Ben Portnoy at bportnoy@thestate.com and your question could appear in an upcoming mailbag Q&A.):
Who’s going to be WR1 for South Carolina this year?
South Carolina’s offense had myriad issues last year — four different quarterbacks, an ineffective offensive line and limited playmakers among them.
That’s not quite the case in 2022.
South Carolina’s receiving corps, in particular, received a facelift via the transfer portal thanks to Antwane “Juice” Wells (James Madison) and Corey Rucker Jr. (Arkansas State). Throw in the returns of Josh Vann, Ahmarean Brown, Dakereon Joyner, Xavier Legette and Jalen Brooks, and the Gamecocks are suddenly as deep as anyone in the league.
Vann was WR1 for the bulk of last season and comes back to Columbia after weighing his professional options. With the quarterback position more settled and a year as a key cog in the offense under his belt, the former four-star recruit could be in for another big year. There’s a caveat, though.
Those within the program have been bullish as can be on Wells and Rucker.
Wells’ name was all over the James Madison record books despite playing only 22 games over one-plus seasons with the Dukes. He might take some time to adjust to the speed of the Southeastern Conference compared with the FCS, but the talent is there for an all-league effort.
Rucker, too, torched defenses at a lower level during his time at Arkansas State and figures to be a big part of what the Gamecocks do offensively in 2022. He was under-recruited out of Mississippi and landed at ASU at the 11th hour. USC is hoping that skill he flashed in the Sun Belt translates to the SEC.
Vann was the guy in 2021. Don’t be surprised if Wells and Rucker give him a run for his money this fall.
How good can Jordan Strachan and Jordan Burch be on the edge?
South Carolina’s defense brings back just about everyone, but it’ll lean on some fresher faces at defensive end.
Jordan Strachan is only a year removed from finishing in a tie for the national lead in sacks during his final year at Georgia State. He flashed in spurts last season, his first campaign as a Gamecocks, but he wasn’t asked to do much beyond spelling Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare and Aaron Sterling.
The same can be said for Jordan Burch, a former five-star recruit and the second-highest rated prospect to sign with South Carolina behind only Jadeveon Clowney.
Burch was an all-world talent coming out of high school, but his production hasn’t matched the recruiting hype to date. He’s a year older, bigger and stronger. The hope is that development and an expanded role will lead to the kind of stats those around Columbia hoped he’d bring as a prospect.
The Gamecocks will be deep again defensively. The secondary is virtually settled. Linebacker is a bit thin, but the pieces are there. Zacch Pickens should also anchor things on the interior alongside Alex “Boogie” Huntley and M.J. Webb.
If Burch and Strachan can supplement the unit as edge rushers, South Carolina’s defensive ceiling raises significantly.
Who emerges at running back for Gamecocks?
The two-headed rushing attack of Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White is no more, as each player is off to the NFL. That leaves South Carolina in need of a lead back
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has said he’d prefer to have a No. 1 guy rather than rotate a few players in and out at tailback. That said, the Gamecocks have options.
Wake Forest transfer Christian Beal-Smith led the Demon Deacons in rushing each of the last two years — including in 2020 when he shared the backfield with eventual Heisman Trophy contender Kenneth Walker III. With one year of eligibility remaining, expect him to be squarely in the mix.
MarShawn Lloyd is the other big factor here. The former top-65 recruit has been limited during his South Carolina by an ACL tear he suffered in fall camp as a freshman. Now entering his third year in the program, Beamer and his staff are hopeful he’s back to full-go.
Lloyd looked the part of the speedster he was billed as coming out of high school during his limited reps last season. He’ll have every opportunity to be the lead back in 2022, and it’s not completely inconceivable he and Beal-Smith end up splitting time, despite Satterfield’s preference.
Key South Carolina football preseason dates
All practices/scrimmages closed to the public
- Thursday: Players report/Media Day
- Friday: First practice
- Aug. 13: Scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium
- Aug. 20: Scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium
- Aug. 25: Shane Beamer call-in radio show, 6 p.m.
- Aug. 30: Beamer game week press conference, 1:30 p.m.
- Sep. 1: Beamer call-in radio show, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Three burning questions for South Carolina to answer during preseason camp."
