Post-Spring Anaysis
Both USC and Clemson have concluded their NCAA alloted spring practices and closed with their Garnet and Black and Orange and White games respectively. Some questions were answered, some names were moved on depth charts, but some questions remain just that, questions.
Both teams shared a common goal going into a spring: Find an offensive line.
For Clemson, the loss of four-fifths of last years line (Offensive tackles Barry Richardson, Christian Capote, offensive guards Chris McDuffie, Brandon Pilgrim) presented a challenge that looked to be solved with inexperienced talent. For USC, the return of an inconsistent line meant that spots could be taken over by reserves from last year.
The Tigers, after this spring, will be depending on youth this year. Big offensive guard Jamarcus Grant looked to step into the role of starter, but a weak performance early on gave way to redshirt freshman OG David Smith. C/OG Mason Cloy, assuming he can beat out Barry Humphries (very possible) and Smith look to have the best chance at joining C Thomas Austin. OT Chris Hairston should be able to hold off RS freshman Landon Walker.
The position of interest is left tackle, vacated by Barry Richardson. Cory Lambert looks to be the heir apparent, but he will, according the Tiger reports, have his hands full with former defensive tackle Jock McKissic. Should be interesting to watch in the fall to say the least.
The Gamecocks return 4-of-5 starters, losing only center William "Web" Brown. USC already looks to have taken a big hit, three to be exact. Both C Garrett Anderson and OG Kevin Young may be out for an extended period with injuries, and fellow OG/OT Gurminder Thind may be done with football for good with his injury. Another situation pressing the Gamecocks was Jamon Meredith's 2-game suspension. During the spring, some players showed that they could play. Two positions that can be settled on is the right side of the line, with OG Heath Batchelor and OT Justin Sorenson. Center is still in question, the top candidates are OG/C Seaver Brown, who has been quoted as slow off the snap, and C Ryan Broadhead, who is still a little small.
Left tackle appears to be Meredith's, but if a left guard cannot be found, Meredith may move to guard, and RS sophomore Hutch Eckerson, who had a good spring, could round out the starting five. For the 2-game suspension, Meredith could be replaced by a number of guys, but signs point to junior Lemuel Jeanpierre.
One area that both teams appear to be strong in is defense. USC returns almost everyone, and the depth seems to have improved. The biggest return looks to be MLB Jasper Brinkley, along with DT/NG Nathan Pepper, both of which are returning from knee injuries. Another big signing was defensive coordinator, and he put his imprint on the defense early, moving award winning defensive end Eric Norwood to linebacker, and switching him with Cliff Matthews. The additions of CB Akeem Auguste (prep school), S Antonio Allen (prep school), LB Shaq Wilson (true Fr.) look to improve depth. The defense of USC will probably be leaned on this year. I'll explain a little later.
For the Tigers, defense also looks to be strong. Defensive line looks to be monstrous this year, especially at the ends. Junior Ricky Sapp returns to anchor a line, and will be paralleled by true freshman DaQuan Bowers (both from Bamberg-Earhart). Each combined to reek havoc in the spring game, getting multiple "sacks" on the quarterback. Defensive back looks to be strong, as all starters return.
The only worry spot for the Tigers was linebacker, and that question isn't quite resolved. After the quickly abandoned experiment of Rendrick Taylor, who has now been moved to running back, Clemson still has three holes, but their are leaders for those spots. Kavell Connor looks to be the only one with a set spot on the outside, but that still could change. Middle linebacker may be set, assuming Courtney Vincent comes back, and if not, both Josh Miller and Brandon Maye will be competing for the job. I favor Maye slightly going into the fall. The other outside backer will be between Scotty Cooper and Stanley "Buster" Hunter. Cooper hasn't wowed yet, while Hunter has.
Both teams look to have offensive weapons at wide receiver. For Clemson, they return Aaron Kelly, Jacoby Ford, and Tyler Grisham. Also look for Xavier Dye and Marquan Jones to be contributors, and slowly groomed into the main guys for the future.
The Gamecocks return Kenny McKinley, along with Dion Lecorn. The tight end looks to be a big contributor this year with Jared Cook and Wes Saunders. Spring risers like Moe Brown, Larry Freeman, and Joe Hills look to add help.
Running back will again be the staple, or at least it should be, with James Davis and CJ Spiller returning. For the Gamecocks, Mike Davis returns, and, after a strong spring, Brian Maddox looks to be the second option, and next in line to headline the position.
At quarterback, Cullen Harper is the main guy for Clemson. The intriguing match up was the back up position, between Willy Korn and Kyle Parker. Korn looks to be the solid #2 and Parker, who really didn't get a good look because of baseball, will probably redshirt.
South Carolina on the other had has no clear cut QB going into the fall. Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher stayed neck-and-neck all throughout the spring. After a horrid spring game where nearly 10 interception were thrown combined, the battle, it appears, will rage on to fall.
Truly, they are both even. Beecher had a slightly better game, and Chris still has the game experience, and the 4-1 record.
For both to have a successful season, they need to find a set 5 to play offensive line. Contrastingly, Clemson needs to fill out its linebacker position by mid-fall, and USC has to find a quarterback, be it Beecher, Smelley, or, if he returns, Stephen Garcia. Oh, I didn't mention, he got in trouble and missed spring again. Long (long) shot QB candidate is true freshman Aramis Hillary.
Special teams also needed to be addressed by both teams. Carolina added Rich Rysleski, and all signs point to an immediate improvement. For Clemson, it appears it will be done by committee, but who knows, maybe it will work out this year.
Up next: summer workouts, incoming freshman, fall practice, and the start of football.
Post Spring Depth Chart
South Carolina
QB: Tommy Beecher or Chris Smelley or Stephen Garcia
RB: Mike Davis, Brian Maddox, Bobby Wallace, Eric Baker
WR: Kenny McKinley, Joe Hills, Freddie Brown
LT: Hutch Eckerson, Quintin Richardson
LG: Jamon Meredith, Lemuel Jeanpierre
C: Seaver Brown, Ryan Broadhead
RG: Heath Batchelor, Pierre Andrews
RT: Justin Sorenson, Kyle Nunn
TE: Wes Saunders and Jared Cook, Pat Dimarco, Nick Prochak
WR: Moe Brown, CC Whitlock, Matt Clements
WR: Dion Lecorn, Larry Freeman, Jason Barnes
DE: Jordin Lindsey, Cliff Matthews, Darantzay Brunson
DT: Ladi Ajiboye, Kenrick Ellis, Jonathan Williams
NG: Nate Pepper, Marque Hall, Donte'e Nichols
DE: Travian Robertson, Clifton Geathers, Byron McKnight
SLB: Eric Norwood, Alonzo Winfield, Damien Wright
MLB: Japser Brinkley, Marvin Sapp, Melvin Ingram
WLB: Gerrod Sinclair Rodney Paulk, Shaq Wilson
CB: Captain Munnerlyn, Akeem Auguste, Addison Williams
S: Darian Stewart, Mark Barnes, Chris Hail
S: Emmanuel Cook, Chris Culliver, Antonio Allen
CB: Carlos Thomas, Stoney Woodson, Jamire Williams
Clemson
QB: Cullen Harper, Willy Korn, Kyle Parker
RB: James Davis, CJ Spiller, Rendrick Taylor
WR: Aaron Kelly, Xavier Dye, Brandon Clear
WR: Jacoby Ford, Marquan Jones, Nelson Faerber
LT: Cory Lambert, Jock McKissic, Jamal Medlin
LG: David Smith, Jamarcus Grant
C: Thomas Austin, Barry Humphries
RG: Mason Cloy, Bobby Hutchinson, ?
RT: Chris Hairston, Landon Walker, ?
TE: Michael Palmer, Chad Diehl, Brian Linthicum
WR: Tyler Grisham, Terrence Ashe, Jeffery Ogren
DE: Ricky Sapp, Kourtnei Brown, Byron Clear
DT: Dorrell Scott, Jarvis Jenkins, Miguel Chavis
NG: Rashaad Jackson, Jamie Cumbie, Elsmore Gabriel
DE: DaQuan Bowers, Kevin Alexander, Andre Branch
SLB: Kavell Connor, Jeremy Campbell
MLB: Brandon Maye, Josh Miller, Courtney Vincent
WLB: Stanley Hunter, Scotty Cooper, ?
CB: Chris Chancellor, Marcus Gilchrist
S: Chris Clemmons, Sadat Chambers
S: Michael Hamlin, DeAndre McDaniel
CB: Crezdon Butler, Coty Sensebaugh
Both teams shared a common goal going into a spring: Find an offensive line.
For Clemson, the loss of four-fifths of last years line (Offensive tackles Barry Richardson, Christian Capote, offensive guards Chris McDuffie, Brandon Pilgrim) presented a challenge that looked to be solved with inexperienced talent. For USC, the return of an inconsistent line meant that spots could be taken over by reserves from last year.
The Tigers, after this spring, will be depending on youth this year. Big offensive guard Jamarcus Grant looked to step into the role of starter, but a weak performance early on gave way to redshirt freshman OG David Smith. C/OG Mason Cloy, assuming he can beat out Barry Humphries (very possible) and Smith look to have the best chance at joining C Thomas Austin. OT Chris Hairston should be able to hold off RS freshman Landon Walker.
The position of interest is left tackle, vacated by Barry Richardson. Cory Lambert looks to be the heir apparent, but he will, according the Tiger reports, have his hands full with former defensive tackle Jock McKissic. Should be interesting to watch in the fall to say the least.
The Gamecocks return 4-of-5 starters, losing only center William "Web" Brown. USC already looks to have taken a big hit, three to be exact. Both C Garrett Anderson and OG Kevin Young may be out for an extended period with injuries, and fellow OG/OT Gurminder Thind may be done with football for good with his injury. Another situation pressing the Gamecocks was Jamon Meredith's 2-game suspension. During the spring, some players showed that they could play. Two positions that can be settled on is the right side of the line, with OG Heath Batchelor and OT Justin Sorenson. Center is still in question, the top candidates are OG/C Seaver Brown, who has been quoted as slow off the snap, and C Ryan Broadhead, who is still a little small.
Left tackle appears to be Meredith's, but if a left guard cannot be found, Meredith may move to guard, and RS sophomore Hutch Eckerson, who had a good spring, could round out the starting five. For the 2-game suspension, Meredith could be replaced by a number of guys, but signs point to junior Lemuel Jeanpierre.
One area that both teams appear to be strong in is defense. USC returns almost everyone, and the depth seems to have improved. The biggest return looks to be MLB Jasper Brinkley, along with DT/NG Nathan Pepper, both of which are returning from knee injuries. Another big signing was defensive coordinator, and he put his imprint on the defense early, moving award winning defensive end Eric Norwood to linebacker, and switching him with Cliff Matthews. The additions of CB Akeem Auguste (prep school), S Antonio Allen (prep school), LB Shaq Wilson (true Fr.) look to improve depth. The defense of USC will probably be leaned on this year. I'll explain a little later.
For the Tigers, defense also looks to be strong. Defensive line looks to be monstrous this year, especially at the ends. Junior Ricky Sapp returns to anchor a line, and will be paralleled by true freshman DaQuan Bowers (both from Bamberg-Earhart). Each combined to reek havoc in the spring game, getting multiple "sacks" on the quarterback. Defensive back looks to be strong, as all starters return.
The only worry spot for the Tigers was linebacker, and that question isn't quite resolved. After the quickly abandoned experiment of Rendrick Taylor, who has now been moved to running back, Clemson still has three holes, but their are leaders for those spots. Kavell Connor looks to be the only one with a set spot on the outside, but that still could change. Middle linebacker may be set, assuming Courtney Vincent comes back, and if not, both Josh Miller and Brandon Maye will be competing for the job. I favor Maye slightly going into the fall. The other outside backer will be between Scotty Cooper and Stanley "Buster" Hunter. Cooper hasn't wowed yet, while Hunter has.
Both teams look to have offensive weapons at wide receiver. For Clemson, they return Aaron Kelly, Jacoby Ford, and Tyler Grisham. Also look for Xavier Dye and Marquan Jones to be contributors, and slowly groomed into the main guys for the future.
The Gamecocks return Kenny McKinley, along with Dion Lecorn. The tight end looks to be a big contributor this year with Jared Cook and Wes Saunders. Spring risers like Moe Brown, Larry Freeman, and Joe Hills look to add help.
Running back will again be the staple, or at least it should be, with James Davis and CJ Spiller returning. For the Gamecocks, Mike Davis returns, and, after a strong spring, Brian Maddox looks to be the second option, and next in line to headline the position.
At quarterback, Cullen Harper is the main guy for Clemson. The intriguing match up was the back up position, between Willy Korn and Kyle Parker. Korn looks to be the solid #2 and Parker, who really didn't get a good look because of baseball, will probably redshirt.
South Carolina on the other had has no clear cut QB going into the fall. Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher stayed neck-and-neck all throughout the spring. After a horrid spring game where nearly 10 interception were thrown combined, the battle, it appears, will rage on to fall.
Truly, they are both even. Beecher had a slightly better game, and Chris still has the game experience, and the 4-1 record.
For both to have a successful season, they need to find a set 5 to play offensive line. Contrastingly, Clemson needs to fill out its linebacker position by mid-fall, and USC has to find a quarterback, be it Beecher, Smelley, or, if he returns, Stephen Garcia. Oh, I didn't mention, he got in trouble and missed spring again. Long (long) shot QB candidate is true freshman Aramis Hillary.
Special teams also needed to be addressed by both teams. Carolina added Rich Rysleski, and all signs point to an immediate improvement. For Clemson, it appears it will be done by committee, but who knows, maybe it will work out this year.
Up next: summer workouts, incoming freshman, fall practice, and the start of football.
Post Spring Depth Chart
South Carolina
QB: Tommy Beecher or Chris Smelley or Stephen Garcia
RB: Mike Davis, Brian Maddox, Bobby Wallace, Eric Baker
WR: Kenny McKinley, Joe Hills, Freddie Brown
LT: Hutch Eckerson, Quintin Richardson
LG: Jamon Meredith, Lemuel Jeanpierre
C: Seaver Brown, Ryan Broadhead
RG: Heath Batchelor, Pierre Andrews
RT: Justin Sorenson, Kyle Nunn
TE: Wes Saunders and Jared Cook, Pat Dimarco, Nick Prochak
WR: Moe Brown, CC Whitlock, Matt Clements
WR: Dion Lecorn, Larry Freeman, Jason Barnes
DE: Jordin Lindsey, Cliff Matthews, Darantzay Brunson
DT: Ladi Ajiboye, Kenrick Ellis, Jonathan Williams
NG: Nate Pepper, Marque Hall, Donte'e Nichols
DE: Travian Robertson, Clifton Geathers, Byron McKnight
SLB: Eric Norwood, Alonzo Winfield, Damien Wright
MLB: Japser Brinkley, Marvin Sapp, Melvin Ingram
WLB: Gerrod Sinclair Rodney Paulk, Shaq Wilson
CB: Captain Munnerlyn, Akeem Auguste, Addison Williams
S: Darian Stewart, Mark Barnes, Chris Hail
S: Emmanuel Cook, Chris Culliver, Antonio Allen
CB: Carlos Thomas, Stoney Woodson, Jamire Williams
Clemson
QB: Cullen Harper, Willy Korn, Kyle Parker
RB: James Davis, CJ Spiller, Rendrick Taylor
WR: Aaron Kelly, Xavier Dye, Brandon Clear
WR: Jacoby Ford, Marquan Jones, Nelson Faerber
LT: Cory Lambert, Jock McKissic, Jamal Medlin
LG: David Smith, Jamarcus Grant
C: Thomas Austin, Barry Humphries
RG: Mason Cloy, Bobby Hutchinson, ?
RT: Chris Hairston, Landon Walker, ?
TE: Michael Palmer, Chad Diehl, Brian Linthicum
WR: Tyler Grisham, Terrence Ashe, Jeffery Ogren
DE: Ricky Sapp, Kourtnei Brown, Byron Clear
DT: Dorrell Scott, Jarvis Jenkins, Miguel Chavis
NG: Rashaad Jackson, Jamie Cumbie, Elsmore Gabriel
DE: DaQuan Bowers, Kevin Alexander, Andre Branch
SLB: Kavell Connor, Jeremy Campbell
MLB: Brandon Maye, Josh Miller, Courtney Vincent
WLB: Stanley Hunter, Scotty Cooper, ?
CB: Chris Chancellor, Marcus Gilchrist
S: Chris Clemmons, Sadat Chambers
S: Michael Hamlin, DeAndre McDaniel
CB: Crezdon Butler, Coty Sensebaugh
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