South Carolina Gamecocks: A New Day Dawning
Will Muschamp and the brand new South Carolina Gamecocks coaching staff are in the early stages of establishing a new attitude for their program. The buzz the last couple of years was that the atmosphere was too laid back, most noticeably at practices. Former Head Coach Steve Spurrier’s sudden mid-season resignation left fans and players stunned. After an initial spark provided by interim head coach Shawn Elliott, the Gamecocks limped to a 3-9 record for the season. Enter the Will Muschamp era, bringing with him a strong recruiting staff. Which brings us to this look ahead at what the efforts of a culture change may ultimately provide Gamecock Nation in year one.
New Coach, New Physicality
Immediately, Coach Muschamp established a more aggressive tempo to everything around the program, from spring drills to the weight room. “Physicality” became the watchword heard often in interviews and press conferences, which contrasted the perceived laid back vibe of the prior regime. This fall, pads are popping, and there is the expectation that the much-maligned defense of the past two years will fly around and make plays. They will have to, in order to help make up for the loss of All-SEC linebacker Skai Moore, who is out for the season with a neck injury. The secondary lost one of the team’s leading tacklers, Isaiah Johnson to graduation, and will have to find a play-maker in what is probably the thinnest position group on the team. The new day brings many new faces, depth, and talent deficiencies all over the lineup, especially on defense. So it is understandable that the staff is preaching effort and intensity to the players and selling it to the fan base. Muschamp and first year Defensive Coordinator Travaris Robinson have installed a scheme featuring a “Buck” position, a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker spot designed to pressure the quarterback and make plays on the edge. Gamecock fans are excited, because since Jadeveon Clowney provided a one-man blitz for three years, there has been very little in the way of backfield penetration for South Carolina. Bryson Allen-Williams, who has bounced around at several defensive positions, is a player that the coaches believes will flourish at the Buck position. Allen-Williams, according to all observers, has had an outstanding spring and summer under the new defensive coaches’ tutelage. Senior defensive end, Marquavius Lewis, who arrived last season from the JUCO ranks with high expectations, has had a great preseason and is poised for a strong year, according the coaches. Lewis will likely line up at both defensive end and defensive line spots in 2016. Another name to watch for, newcomer Jamarcus King is a big (6-2, 180lbs) corner with strong cover skills. He arrived from junior college and is expected to play a lot in that revamped Gamecock secondary. The new era for USC will feature many new faces, and thus is the challenge for the new staff.
On The Offense
The offensive side of the ball is also full of fresh newness for the Gamecocks. Offensive Coordinator Kurt Roper, after a stint in the NFL, walks right into a very unsettled quarterback situation. Senior Perry Orth returns as the most experienced signal caller, having started eight games last season (1-7 record as a starter, 12 tds, 9 INTs), but will be pushed by not one, but two, highly recruited freshman quarterbacks. The first challenger for the starting nod is 6-0 Brandon McIlwain, a jewel in the signing class who enrolled in classes in January and has been sharing first team reps with Orth since he arrived. The added twist in the QB race has been 6-4 Jake Bentley, who reclassified, graduated early from high school, and has shown up looking good in summer workouts and fall camp. The original plan was to go into the season with Orth as the starter, eventually bring on the more athletic and talented McIlwain as he gained experience. But Bentley, son of running backs coach Bobby Bentley, has reportedly been throwing lasers in practices and in at least two scrimmages, ths slowing down talk of red-shirting him for the season. Coach Muschamp has stated multiple times publicly that he plans to play two quarterbacks throughout the season opener vs Vanderbilt. Look for all three to play. The competition has raised the play of each player in practice, and Coach Muschamp sees the multiple quarterback approach as an advantage. It may be harder for Vanderbilt to prepare for more than one quarterback, with different skill sets, but it will also mean splitting valuable practice reps. There will be a new face carrying the football also, with Brandon Wilds taking his experience with him to the Atlanta Falcons training camp. The favorite to start September 1st vs Vanderbilt is red-shirt freshman AJ Turner, who has been consistently good throughout spring and fall practices. Turner has no collegiate carries, and he will be backed up by bigger, more experienced junior David Williams, who came to Columbia very highly recruited, but has been in the coaches’ doghouse for poor practice habits. The hope is Williams puts it all together and has a breakout season in 2016. At the receiver spot, the group is very young, with sophomore Deebo Samuel as the wily veteran. Although Samuel missed much of last season with nagging hamstring issues, he is a talented play-maker who has great ball skills (he was also an All-State basketball player at Chapman High School). Another new name to help usher in the new era is freshman wideout Brian Edwards, whom the Gamecocks beat out Georgia, among others, to bring into the fold. Edwards is a big target at 6-3, which may come in handy to move the chains while the quarterback situation is getting settled. There is the opinion out there that, as the season develops, the receivers two-deep depth chart will be all freshmen and one sophomore. The offensive line is coached by the Spurrier staff holdover, former interim head coach Shawn Elliott, and they will look to embody the new mantra of intensity and physicality. They will be the most experienced group on the team, and will be counted on to set a tone in which the youth around them can gel.
A New Era
The new era for the University of South Carolina football team, is epitomized by Head Coach Will Muschamp, whose intensity is well known. He has aggressively hit the recruiting trail, and made some quick inroad. The 2017 class is starting to look good. As for now, just off of the change of environment, the Gamecock fans have reasons to embrace the new day. This staff, and the players, have seen the preseason predictions. They have wallowed in the 3-9 finish for nine months, and they have the belief that the team will surprise many with their play this season. There are enough 4-star rated players, that if they awake, the season can be a pleasant surprise. Isn’t the best thing about a new day, the chance to make it better than the day before? That is the hope of Gamecock football 2016.
