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South Carolina as an SEC East darkhorse
Will Muschamp has done a great job recruiting and coaching this South Carolina program back to relevancy after the legendary Steve Spurrier retired. Coming off a disappointing couple of years, expectations were pretty low for this Gamecock football team last season, but they surprised people early on with a win over N.C. State in the opener. With losses to Kentucky and Texas A&M they came back down to earth, yet their only losses over the rest of the year came to CFP teams Georgia and Clemson. They proceeded to win their first bowl game since 2014, when they came back against Michigan in the Outback Bowl.
Looking ahead to this upcoming campaign, I could see SC put their name back on the national radar. I have them as favourites in all but two games heading into the year, with their biggest test already coming in week two, when Georgia is coming to town, and then they finish at Clemson.
Let’s check out what this group brings to the table. The Gamecocks bring back an excellent wide receiver duo in Deebo Samuels and Bryan Edwards. While injuries have been a big part of Deebo’s college career, he is an absolute dynamite when on the field. He ran sweeps, reverses, tunnel screens, slant-routes and other stuff for 280 yards from scrimmage and took two kicks to the house in just three games last season. He runs violent with the balls in his hands and has the speed to run away from anybody.
Edwards might not be as flashy as his partner in crime, but he is a dependable target who can run the entire route-tree and has excellent hands. He is a jump-ball specialist and can juke people after the catch. Their quarterback Jake Bentley now has 20 starts under his belt and looked at his best in the biggest moments in 2017.
I like his pocket posture, the way the ball comes out in rhythm, he has some decent mobility and can throw on the run. While a lot of his passes were completed behind the line of scrimmage, he can get the ball to his playmakers anywhere on the field and finds the first-down marker. Despite needing more balance on offense, they could be an explosive group.
On the opposite side of the ball, you find a defensive unit that gave up 20.7 points per game last season. They return most of their front seven outside of star linebacker Skai Moore and see an infusion of young talent. With 28 total takeaways this prior season, they should have the ability to get the ball back for their offense.
