2020 South Carolina Gamecocks Preview

CFB Saturdays presents its inaugural team previews. Below you will find our comprehensive 2020 South Carolina Gamecocks Preview. (Note all recruiting rankings are based upon 247Sports composite rankings).

A Look Back and a Peek Ahead

In 2019 South Carolina finished the season 4 – 8, losing five of their last six games and failing to qualify for a bowl game. The highlight of the season was a 20 – 17 road win over Georgia in October. The win came on the heels of a 24 – 7 win at home over Kentucky. The Gamecocks could not capitalize on the momentum, instead falling into a slump to close out the season. True freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski started for most of the year, there were some growing pains, but also some promising signs for the future.

The offense struggled in 2019, which could have been expected considering they were being led by a true freshman facing a tough schedule. The Gamecocks ranked 104th in the country in scoring offense (22.4 ppg). The struggles were evident running the ball (82nd in rushing yards per game) and passing the ball (74th in passing yards per game). A young quarterback can be helped by a strong running game but South Carolina had no such luxury in 2019.

The defense was better than the offense but still would not qualify as good. South Carolina ranked 53rd in scoring defense (26.1 ppg). The run defense was average ranking 66th in rushing yards per game allowed, but the pass defense was porous ranking 80th in passing yards per game allowed. Defense and offense do not exist in a vacuum and it was evident that the poor play on one side of the ball contributed to the poor play on the other, creating a whirlpool of struggles for the Gamecocks.

It didn’t help that South Carolina played a very difficult schedule in 2019, with crossover games against Alabama and Texas A&M combined with an out of conference slate that included Clemson, North Carolina and 13 win Appalachian State. New offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will be charged with revamping the South Carolina offense in 2020. Bobo was the head coach at Colorado State the past five seasons. In 2019 his offense finished the season ranked 14th in passing yards per game but the trade-off was that they were 103rd in rushing yards per game. There will need to be more balance in Columbia but Bobo has a track record at Georgia of maintaining a more balanced attack. The growth of the offense and the quarterback position will go a long way in determining the success South Carolina will have in 2020.

2020 South Carolina Gamecocks Preview – Offense

Quarterback

Ryan Hilinski is in the poll position to be the starter in 2020, but that is not guaranteed. As a true freshman Hilinski completed 58.1 % of his passes and averaged a meager 5.8 yards per attempt. He did have an 11/5 TD to Int ratio, but there wasn’t a lot of production in 2019. Growing pains are expected with a true freshman, so the numbers should not be expected to be great right away and should improve in 2020. Hilinski played really well against Charleston Southern and Vanderbilt but failed to break 7.0 yards per attempt in any other games. Hilinski has a good arm but is inconsistent with his footwork causing issues with his accuracy. If he can keep his feet under him consistently it will help him make a giant leap his sophomore year.

Graduate transfer Collin Hill arrives from Colorado State where he played under Mike Bobo until he suffered a season ending knee injury in his third game of the season. Hill is a 6’5″ 214 lb quarterback who was off to a great start in Bobo’s system. He completed 67.6% of his passes averaging 8.2 yards per attempt and had an 8/2 TD to Int ratio. It was only three games but Hill is familiar with Bobo’s offense and appeared to be on his way to success running it. Hill has excellent size, making it easy for him to scan the defense and find an open receiver. He shows good anticipation and accuracy on his passes. He throws the deep ball with good touch resulting in a very catchable ball down field. If he is fully recovered from his knee injury he will challenge Hilinski, and probably has a better understanding of the offense at this point.

Much heralded freshman Luke Doty (6’1″ 185 lbs) enrolled in January hoping to join the competition during spring ball. Doty was a 4 star recruit ranked #85 in the country. Doty is a wonderful athlete (4.62 40, 37.7″ vertical) who can really make plays with his legs adding another dimension to the offense. He has good arm strength but sometimes fails to transfer his weight behind the ball resulting in too much air on his throws. This is a mechanical issue that can be fixed with coaching which should help Doty get the most out of his talent. Spring ball being cut short does not help Doty’s chances of winning the job, but he has enough talent to compete in the fall. We don’t think he will be the starter game 1 but if Hilinski or Hill struggle, Doty may be able to provide a spark on offense.

There is not a lot of depth beyond these three. Jake Bentley transferred to Utah and is no longer in the QB room. Dakereon Joyner attempted 28 passes last season but also played WR. He has made the move to WR full time now and would only play QB in an emergency or if the coaches wanted to employ some type of wildcat package. The three QBs listed above will determine the fate of the position for South Carolina in 2020, it’s still up in the air who will play but there are promising options available.

2020 Outlook: Hilinski and Hill will battle for the starting spot in fall camp. Although Hilinski was the starter last year, Hill has familiarity with Bobo’s offense. It’s a toss up to determine who wins the job, and Hill needs to be fully healthy, but the leash will be short if the starter does not perform. Doty will get some reps but likely will not be the starter unless the other two fail or fall to injury.

Running Back

The Gamecocks lose their top three rushers from the 2019 team, but none of the three ran for 700 yards last season. The Gamecocks lacked a true lead back in 2020 and the committee left much to be desired. The sub standard play at the RB position did nothing to help the young QB, making it easy to see why the South Carolina offense struggled so much. There are a few reasons to be optimistic that there will be significant improvement in 2020.

Kevin Harris was a true freshman in 2019 and was limited to just 21 carries on the season. He made the most of those limited carries running for 179 yards and 4 TDs. Most of that production though came against Charleston Southern. Despite the struggles at the running back position Harris was unable to crack the rotation and get significant playing time. He is a stout running back at 5’10” 225 lbs and flashed some agility and power last season but is hardly someone to rely on going into 2020.

Highly touted recruit MarShawn Lloyd will arrive in 2020 and should provide instant credibility to the position. We featured him in our freshman spotlight and believe he will be a feature back in Columbia. Lloyd is a tough runner who runs with vision and attitude. He is an upgrade over anyone currently in the running back room from a talent standpoint and will be given the opportunity to earn the starting job in fall camp. If Lloyd can live up to expectations he will be a major upgrade at the running back position.

The Gamecocks also return Deshaun Fenwick (6’1″ 230 lbs) who ran for 111 yards in 2019. Fenwick was a redshirt freshman last season and should see his usage increase some in 2020. Three star recruit Rashad Amos will also be vying to get reps at running back. Nothing is out of the question but he will start behind the other backs on the roster and would need a lot to happen to become a major contributor in 2020. ZaQuandre White arrives from the JUCO ranks and could be an immediate contributor.

2020 Outlook: Lloyd should win the job and get the bulk of the carries for South Carolina. He will be the lead back and a significant upgrade for the running game. Harris, White and Fenwick will be used to spell Lloyd when necessary.

Wide Receiver/ Tight End

Bryan Edwards was a star for South Carolina and we are high on his prospects in the NFL as well. He had 816 receiving yards last year which was almost 1/3 of the passing yards the team had in 2019. There is no easy option to replace Edwards on the roster right now. The receivers will all have to up their production some, which combined with better play at QB and a better running game may replace some of Edwards’ production. TE Kyle Markway also decided to move on, he had 349 yards receiving of his own last season. There are big shoes to fill in Columbia next year.

Shi Smith and Josh Vann are the top returning WR for the Gamecocks offense. Smith, who had 489 receiving yards and 2 TD in 2019, will enter his senior season being counted on to lead the position group. Smith was a four star recruit out of high school. He had a better year in 2018 and was effective even as a freshman in 2017 so there is optimism he will be a reliable target in the passing game. Vann who will be a junior in 2020 was also a four star recruit but has yet to put it together in his first two seasons in Columbia. He has not exceeded 200 receiving yards in either season and needs a breakthrough season in 2020. Perhaps Bobo’s offense will help both players take the next step in their development.

Beyond those two there are no proven options. Xavier Legette, OrTre Smith, Chad Terrell and Trey Adkins have played some but none of the group have done anything to stand out. The Gamecocks signed WR Mike Wyman who has good size at 6’2″ and was a well regarded recruit but it remains to be seen if he can have a major impact as a true freshman this fall. Jaheim Bell is an athlete who could be a receiver but he suffered a knee injury and may not be ready to contribute right away. Lastly, former QB Dakereon Joyner has moved over to WR, he played some at the position last year but its hard to project how soon he will be ready to produce on a regular basis.

Replacing Markway will be a little easier than replacing Edwards but not by much. Markway was a productive TE which is not an easy thing to find. Fortunately the Gamecocks did have Nick Muse on the roster last year who had 158 receiving yards last season. Unfortunately Muse tore his ACL and is still recovering. He should be back in time for the start of the season but there are no guarantees. The Gamecocks did add some insurance in Adam Prentice who like Hill is a Colorado State transfer. Prentice was a FB at Colorado State but could play some TE if needed. He only had 44 receiving yards in 2019 but is an experienced player.

2020 Outlook: Shi Smith and Josh Vann will start at receiver both have potential but have yet to breakthrough. Muse is the best option at TE, but none of the three are stars right now. The Gamecocks will need someone to breakthrough and lead the pass catchers in 2020.

Offensive Line

The offensive line was not blameless in the struggles of the South Carolina offense. The Gamecocks struggled most of the year as a unit and the inability of the line was a major factor. The good news is that four starters return, the only loss was Center Donnell Stanley who was not drafted but did sign as an undrafted free agent. Stanley was one of the two best lineman for South Carolina but the Gamecocks do return Dylan Wonnum (#19 OT) at tackle.

Tackle is an area on the line we could see a big improvement from the Gamecocks in 2020. The aforementioned Wonnum will likely start at Left Tackle. He was a top 150 recruit in 2018 and has started 14 games since arriving in Columbia. He has good size (6’5″ 310 lbs) and good feet, but still needs to work on his technique. As a junior he should show further improvement in this area. At right tackle South Carolina will likely turn to sophomore Jakai Moore. Moore (6’5″ 295 lbs) came on late last year and started at tackle the final game of the season. He should make a leap going into his redshirt sophomore season.

At left guard the Gamecocks will start Sadarius Hutcherson who was a starter at left tackle last year but looked out of place blocking on the edge. The senior is built more like a guard and should perform much better on the interior of the line. Hutcherson (6’4″ 320 lbs) is a powerful player who should be an asset in the run game. His pass blocking should improve on the inside as well. At Right Guard there will likely be a competition between last years two starters at guard Jovaughn Gwyn and Jordan Rhodes. Both players gained a lot of experience in 2019 and will attempt to build on that in 2020. Gwyn (6’2″ 305 lbs) was a 4 star recruit and will be a redshirt sophomore this coming season. He has playing experience and has plenty of potential. Rhodes (6’4″ 330 lbs) on the other hand will be a redshirt junior making him the more seasoned player.

The center spot is up for grabs and there is no easy pick as the front runner. The coaching staff could decide to move one of the guards over to center in an effort to get the best five on the field. Hank Manos (6’4″ 290 lbs) appeared to be in good shape to gain experience last year but was injured and was unable to contribute in a significant way. He shows promise and has the feet and strength to play the position but will need to remain healthy and showcase that ability. Vincent Murphy (6’2″ 290 lbs) is the wild card here, he has some promise but is a younger player. He will be a redshirt freshman who will likely have to beat out two players to win the job. Murphy has ability and with a strong camp he could steal the job away.

Eric Douglas (6’4″ 315 lbs) is a utility player who can move around and provide depth across the line. Jazstone Tunetine (6’6″ 337 lbs) is a gigantic JUCO transfer who may be ready to jump into the two deep and possibly push any under-performing tackles for playing time. These two and the players who lost the battles for the starting spots will be the key reserves for the Gamecocks. While the line struggled some in 2019 there are reasons for optimism the unit may be improved in 2020.

2020 Outlook: Wonnum and Moore will be a solid pair of tackles, while Hutcherson will be much better at guard than he was at tackle. If the Gamecocks can get solid play from the other guard spot and Center the line will be much improved next season.

2020 South Carolina Gamecocks Preview – Defense

Defensive Line

The defensive line lost a lot of productive players from the 2019 team. DT Javon Kinlaw (6 TFL) was a 1st round pick and Buck DE DJ Wonnum (9.5 TFL) was drafted in the 4th round. A third starter DT Kobe Smith has graduated as has Wonnum’s primary backup, Daniel Fennell. Three starters and a key reserve is a lot to replace on the defensive line, but South Carolina does have some talented players to fill these openings.

The SDE spot returns both players who were listed on the two deep in 2019. Junior Aaron Sterling (6’1″ 250 lbs) had 10 TFL in 2019 while Sophomore Kingsley Enagbare (6’4″ 260 lbs) also had 9.5 TFL last season. Sterling will be a senior and Enagbare will be a junior this coming season, both upperclassmen will be counted on to provide leadership and production in 2020. Enagbare is a talented player who uses his size and athleticism to beat blockers and make plays in the backfield. He has a high upside but will have to battle the productive Sterling to win the starting spot.

At the Buck position (a hybrid DE/LB) there is not an experienced option available. Brad Johnson (6’2″250 lbs) played in 4 games in 2019 but not in a major role. He will be a senior and has been in the program a long time so he will likely get the the first chance to win the job. Rodricus Fitten (6’1″ 245 lbs) redshirted last year but is a high three star recruit who could become a contributor this coming season. There isn’t a lot of production between the two but Johnson has experience and Fitten has some upside, the Gamecocks are hoping one of them will emerge and take the lead. If they cannot, South Carolina may slide one of Sterling or Enagbare over and hope they can provide the necessary pass rush.

It’s hard to lose a player like Javon Kinlaw and not be concerned but South Carolina has recruited well at DT. Zach Pickens (6’3″ 300 lbs) was a 5 star recruit who played in 12 games as a true freshman last year. He will likely start at one tackle spot and will be expected to become a star in his second season in college. Pickens has a great 1st step and good size for the position, if he has cleaned up his technique he will be a star for the Gamecocks. Keir Thomas (6’2″ 275 lbs) gained an extra year of eligibility and will be the veteran in the room. He was productive player in 2018 (44 tackles, 3,5 TFL) but only played in two games in 2019. Also in the mix will be Rick Sandidge (6’5″ 300 lbs), the former top 150 recruit will be entering his junior season and will have an opportunity to play more this season.

Another player to keep in mind at DT will be true freshman Jordan Burch. The 6’5″ 275 lb lineman is a great athlete who has an elite first step. Burch is a strong player who plays with good pad level. He should be able to provide an instant boost as a rotational player even as a true freshman. Joining Burch will be 4 star recruit Alex Huntley (6’3″ 279 lbs) who is a good prospect in his own right. Huntley may not be as ready as Burch to contribute right away but he should get some reps and provide some good depth. Two other depth players at DT are Jabari Ellis and Devontae Davis, neither has played much and they will have to step up to hold off the younger players on the roster.

2020 Outlook: The Gamecocks lost a lot on the D-Line but still have a talented bunch. Sterling and Enagbare are strong players but the key to the D Line will be the development of the young tackles. If Pickens and company can produce, this unit will be strong again in 2020.

Linebacker

TJ Brunson is the major loss at LB, he was an extremely productive player in 2019 with 77 tackles, 6 TFL and 1 Int. He was drafted in the 7th round by the Giants. The Gamecocks will need to replace his leadership as well as his production in 2020. Fortunately they do return two starters who were productive players last season. Brunson leaves a hole at linebacker but the Gamecocks have a few possibilities to plug the hole.

The leader of the linebacker group next season will be Junior Ernest Jones. The 6’2″ 235 lb star had 97 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2 Int last season. He led the team in tackles and is the favorite to be the starting MLB next season. Jones is an instinctual football player who has a knack for finding the football. He is a productive player who can be counted on in 2020. Another returning starter is Sherrod Greene, who played the OLB spot opposite Brunson. South Carolina plays a lot of nickel as well so the third LB plays less than the first two. Still, Greene (6’1″ 230 lbs) had 35 tackles and 6.5 TFL last season. He will be asked to play a bigger role next season and will need to step up if he wants to be a full time starter.

There are a few options available to fill the other OLB spot. Jahmar Brown (6’1″ 205 lbs) is a fast player who needed to get stronger in 2019. He played sparingly but did flash his playmaking ability some as a freshman. Damani Staley 6’0″ 235 lbs is a more experienced player who had 22 tackles and 2 TFL last season. He may not have the upside of Brown but is a steady, consistent senior who has experience. Mohamed Kaba is an incoming freshman who will try to find his way into the rotation at LB. Kaba (6’2″ 212 lbs) is a 4 star recruit who has an exciting skill set. He has a good frame to add good weight, and is athletic enough to play all three LB spots. He shows good instincts and tackling ability in high school. Kaba is recovering from a knee injury suffered in high school but should be ready in time for the season.

2020 Outlook: Jones is a star who will be counted on to lead the group. He will anchor the linebackers and provide strong play. Greene is a trusted player who will be a capable player beside Jones. If Brown or Kaba can start to reach their potential this group will be very good in 2020.

Defensive Backs

The pass defense was a weakness for South Carolina in 2019. The Gamecocks lose one starter from the secondary in S JT Ibe. They also lost former 4 star recruit Jamyest Williams to the transfer portal, but Williams had not found a spot in the secondary yet anyway. The Gamecocks do return four starters in the secondary if you count the nickel position. The four returning players were all underclassmen in 2019.

At CB both Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu return and will be counted on to improve on their sophomore seasons in 2019. Horn was a 4 star recruit who had 40 tackles and 9 PBU last season, but did not record a single interception. Horn was a younger player as a true sophomore but will need to show he is reaching his potential as a junior in 2020 for the pass defense to improve. Mukuamu (6’4″ 205 lbs) has great size and had a strong true sophomore season recording 59 tackles, 4 Int and 9 PBU. He played well and has great length at the position. He needs to maintain his flexibility but should be able to continue to mature and play at a high level for South Carolina.

At Safety, junior RJ Roderick (6’0″ 200 lbs) returns at one spot. He had 55 tackles and 2 Int playing the position last season as a true sophomore. He is a physical player who will be counted on to be sound as the last line of defense. Jaylin Dickerson (6’1″ 195 lbs) will have a chance to compete for the spot, but injuries have held him back throughout his career. Shilo Sanders redshirted last year but the three star recruit out of Texas has great genes (son of Deion Sanders) and has a chance to get on the field at safety with an impressive off season. If neither player works out, the Gamecocks could just slide a player over from another spot in the secondary where they have better depth.

The nickel spot was manned by true freshman Jammie Robinson. He showed promise and was very productive recording 62 tackles, 1 Int and 4 PBU. Robinson is a physical player with good range and cover skills. He could continue to man the nickel position, or if need be he could move to safety. There are not many other players with experience at the nickel spot but there are some young players who can provide depth at a few different spots if needed.

Cam Smith (6’0″ 185 lbs) was a top 150 recruit in the 2019 class who redshirted this past season. Smith has good size, length and quickness. He is a talented corner with good athleticism who could play outside at corner or as a deep safety if need be. John Dixon (6’0″ 190 lbs) played in 12 games as a true freshman and recorded an interception as well. Dixon was a high 3 star recruit and has the talent to play corner at the college level. He may not have the tools Smith does, but he is a talented prospect in his own right.

2020 Outlook: There is some hope that the young players have progressed and the pass defense will improve as a result. There are talented players in the secondary but not a lot of depth. If younger players like Horn, Robinson, Mukuamu and Roderick continue to progress, this group should be much improved.

Special Teams

Place Kicker Parker White was an asset in 2019 connecting on 18/22 FG and 25/25 XP. He has been good for two seasons now and seems to have put the struggles from his freshman season in the past. At punter there will be a new starter in 2020 but the Gamecocks did sign Kai Kroger from Illinois who was the third ranked punter in the 2020 recruiting class. Xavier Legette and Shi Smith returned Kickoffs and that should continue going forward. Bryan Edwards is gone but perhaps Legette will fill in as punt returner as well.

2020 Outlook: White is a reliable kicker who makes the most of the opportunities he is given. There’s no telling how Kroger will perform or if he will even win the job. Legette showed some potential as a kick returner in limited time, he could grow into the role in 2020.

Outlook in 2020

The Gamecocks will have an improved running game with the addition of Lloyd and an improved offensive line. Hilinski should be better, and if he isn’t could be replaced by a couple capable options, but the receivers need to step up for the offense to truly take a big leap forward. The offense will improve some because it has to be better than last year, how much so will come down to the QB and WRs.

The defense has some big shoes to fill but also has some good young options. There is a lot of talent on the roster and some high ceiling players will emerge in 2020. The pass defense should improve on experience alone, and the front seven has some good players returning and stars ready to emerge. The defense may not be better than 2019 as a unit because they did lose a good amount of talent, but with an improved offense and emerging youth, they may perform better on Saturdays.

The out of conference schedule features three winnable games and a tough one at Clemson. The Gamecocks have a pair of tough crossover games this year at LSU and home against Texas A&M. The Gamecocks get Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia at home this year but will have to play Kentucky, Florida and Vanderbilt on the road. There are some winnable games in there but it is not an easy schedule for South Carolina this year.

We expect the Gamecocks will be improved in 2020 but the schedule is not an easy win. South Carolina will likely finish with five wins if they can get solid QB and WR play. They are not on the same level as Georgia or Florida and are probably a step behind Kentucky and Tennessee as well. A few younger players could emerge and lead the Gamecocks to unexpected heights but it’s hard to envision them competing for the SEC East this year. A reasonable goal for Will Muschamp and South Carolina is to be bowl elgible in 2020 and build toward a bigger 2021 season when their young players will be more seasoned.

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