Gamecocks Connection: Forgotten men
Hey, I’m Chris Clark with GamecockCentral.com, and welcome to Gamecocks Connection.
This weekly newsletter will consist of a summary of some of the latest happenings in Gamecock Country, reader questions, and one “main idea” that’s on my mind. Plus, there will be some other goodies along the way.
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What’s on the docket today?
I’m talking about a few Gamecocks football players that I feel like have been lost in the shuffle. Plus, what Shane Beamer must do to take recruiting to the next level and more.
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Get caught up.
Three quick things to know about your Gamecocks from the last few days.
🏈 An offensive lineman was removed from USC’s commitment list on Monday night. Maryland product Mike Williams, who originally pledged to Carolina in April, announced a decommitment via Twitter. There was a bit more than meets the eye in the situation, though. Lonnie Teasley still has one of the nation’s best offensive line classes in place with in-state prospects Kam Pringle, Josiah Thompson, and Blake Franks all committed.
🏀 No big surprise here, but Meechie Johnson is indeed returning for another season at South Carolina. Johnson, who began his career at Ohio State, went through the NBA Draft process this year but withdrew and will be back for another year with Lamont Paris’ squad.
⚾ The Gamecock baseball program fell to LSU in the team’s second game of the SEC Tournament, 10-3, on Wednesday. The team plays again on Thursday morning and will face either Arkansas or Texas A&M.
[Win a mini helmet autographed by Spencer Rattler]
The main idea.
With all the discussion points around Gamecock football lately, I feel like there are some very important players that are being a bit lost in the conversation.
Sure, it’s huge that USC got Spencer Rattler and Juice Wells to return. There are some impactful transfers joining the team this season. The talk about needing more depth and playmaking at EDGE and running back is well-warranted, as is the discussion regarding replacing NFL talents at various positions.
Still, there are some players probably not getting the due that they should for what they could do this season.
Here are a few that came to mind for me:
1. David Spaulding: This versatile defensive back made a game-changing play against Kentucky right off the bat in 2022. He can play nickel or safety and brings size to both positions. Spaulding has had some unfortunate injury luck, but if healthy he could be a key piece of the secondary.
2. Kajuan Banks: In year one, Banks ended up playing more than some more highly-rated freshmen colleagues. He’s not the biggest guy on the roster, but he has a knack for getting bigger guys on the ground and brings a lot of toughness. He could factor in at nickel or corner and could be a key special teams player.
3. Josh Simon: Tight end transfer Trey Knox has gotten the lion’s share of recognition this offseason. He’s a former four-star recruit who played at an SEC program prior to arriving at USC. He also has ties to a couple Gamecocks coaches in Dowell Loggains and Justin Stepp.
Simon, however, drew lots of internal buzz for his play this spring. He should probably be a 1B in that conversation for potential impact.
4. Mo Kaba: Remember, before his ACL injury early in the year against Arkansas, Kaba had solidified a starting position and projected as one of the most productive defenders on the team. He was also playing very well on special teams. Gamecocks fans are probably cognizant of the fact that he’s returning, and hopeful that he will be back in pre-injury form. There is probably not enough conversation on just how big a loss he was last season, and how big a gain he could be this year.
5. JuJu McDowell: The fact that the junior is not an every-down back does not disqualify him from being able to help as a rusher, pass-catcher, and on special teams. McDowell’s made some impactful plays during his career, and he seems to have been overshadowed a bit by all the conversation about adding another back to the room.
A question from the crowd.
Q: Our recruiting class is ranked in the top ten right now. Has Coach Beamer officially turned the corner in recruiting? How can we take things to the next level?
– Blake from Atlanta
My answer: Let’s take this one in two parts.
USC’s current class has a chance to be the highest-ranked in a long time. It has an opportunity to be the highest-ranked class ever, in fact.
For context, the Gamecocks’ 2007 recruiting class finished 7th in the country per the On3 Industry Ranking. Right now, Shane Beamer has USC sitting at number 6 nationally.
The good news is that USC is not tapped out, so to speak, in terms of major targets. There are still plenty of quality targets – four and five-star types – out there. The nation’s number one prospect, EDGE Dylan Stewart from D.C., is one of them.
It’s been pretty easy to observe how Beamer has built each of his classes on top of the other since arriving in December 2020. It is not even fair to give any type of assessment to the 2021 cycle, as it was put together in just days to go until the early signing period, and during a pandemic that prohibited coaches from seeing prospects in person.
Each class has finished higher than the last in the rankings. The 2024 crop is the best in-state showing under Beamer, and there’s a chance to have the best out-of-state performance, too.
I’d say the recruiting has turned the corner from the standpoint of it has clearly leveled up. Now USC just has to keep things going in that direction.
As far as going to the next level, landing a prospect like Stewart, just one class removed from nabbing five-star Nyckoles Harbor, would certainly do it. Turning in some quality on-field results this year, just as we saw at the end of last season, would be another.
If USC can continue the momentum it has built in the 2024 class by landing more high-quality prospects this summer, and then couple that with a strong season, Gamecocks fans could be in for plenty more excitement in recruiting.
Want to have your Gamecocks question answered here? Email me: [email protected] or hit me on Twitter: @GCChrisClark.
Members can ask on The Insiders Forum. FYI: Premium subscribers do get priority; it’s only fair!
What we’re talking about.
I’m changing it up this week and passing along a topic that I actually started on The Insiders Forum.
ESPN’s FPI recently projected win totals for every SEC college football program.
The metric has South Carolina checking in with 5.5 to 6.5 wins during the 2023 campaign.
If Shane Beamer outperforms that win total, it will be the third season in a row that he’s done so at the helm of the Gamecocks program.
Our subscribers have varying takes on the topic. Some are baffled and think the total should be significantly higher. Others completely understand, given roster defections from the 2022 season.
What do you think? If you are a subscriber with us, come visit the thread and give us your take.
Other sports.
Kalen Anderson’s women’s golf program finished in a tie for fifth at the 2023 NCAA Championships after match play. That ties the 2012 and 2016 campaign for best in school history.
Ayana Akli (women’s tennis) is moving on to the round of 8 in the NCAA Championships after dominating her second round match on Tuesday and then winning again on Wednesday.
Akli is also advancing to the round of 16 in doubles, as she and teammate Sarah Hamner recorded a 6-2, 6-3 win to nab a slot.
Connor Thomson from the men’s tennis team won his first-round match, 6-2, 6-1, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 16th-ranked Thomson fell in round two on Tuesday night.
Thomson and teammate Toby Samuel earned the number one overall seed in the Doubles Championship.
A thanks and a request.
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