Who Will Be USC's 'Breakout' Players in 2007?
posted by Scott Hood on Saturday, July 21, 2007
Good question.
Before answering, we need to set the parameters. In short, how do you define the term “breakout player”?
Is it someone most USC fans already know about but appears to be underappreciated by rival SEC coaches (ex. Kenny McKinley), or is it someone that hasn’t done much in his USC career to this point but appears on the verge of making a major contribution in 2007?
Stated another way, is a breakout player someone who raises their individual profile within the conference or, examining it more myopically, within their respective team?
I’ll take a hybrid approach.
There’s one important prerequisite for being selected: a player must have been on the team last season. There’s a difference between “emerging” and “breaking out.”
With that being said, here are my three potential “breakout” players on offense:
1. Kenny McKinley: Will McKinley take his All-SEC snub by the coaches as a slap in the face? I hope so. McKinley’s main problem the past two seasons was trying to break free of Sidney Rice’s shadow. Rice received so much attention from fans and the media that I believe McKinley was largely forgotten in spite of his 76 career receptions. He could reach 70 receptions in 2007, and put himself in prime position to become USC’s all-time leading receiver in 2008. Pretty good for a guy who played quarterback in high school.
2. Justin Sorensen: I admit it. Last year at this time I thought Sorenesen was just a big, burly galoot who couldn’t play football very well. He appeared to be too slow and too immobile to hold back SEC defensive linemen. But a funny thing happened on the way to spending his entire career on the bench. He worked tirelessly on his footwork and mobility with offensive line coach John Hunt. He started the final six games at right tackle in 2006 and more than held his on. He was downright dominating at times. This is the year the SEC discovers Justin Sorensen.
3. Jared Cook: Pound-for-pound, Cook may be the best athlete on the team. He runs fast (4.37 speed) and jumps high (vertical leap over 30 inches). His problems have been more mental than physical in his first two years with the team. Steve Spurrier complained this past spring that Cook didn’t know his plays well enough. The coaching staff is begging for someone to step up as the No. 2 receiver behind McKinley. If Cook puts it all together, watch out. You just hope the drop against Auburn didn’t destroy his confidence forever.
Honorable Mention: OL Garrett Anderson, WR Freddie Brown, C William Brown, WR Moe Brown, FB Lanard Stafford, OL James Thompson, TE Nick Prochak.
Here are my three “breakout” players on defense:
1. Emanuel Cook: Cook is as tough as they come. He is absolutely fearless from his strong safety position. He missed three games in the middle of last season because of a left knee sprain suffered in the Wofford game. Here’s the fact you need to know about Cook: despite only playing in 10 games, he tied for third in tackles with 47. His strip of the Clemson tight end was one of the biggest plays of the game. Spurrier has talked about the urgent need to improve USC’s run defense. Cook will play a major role in that effort.
2. Rodney Paulk: Paulk had a very good freshman season with 10 starts and 36 tackles. But like most in USC’s linebacker corp, he’s sort of working in the shadow of Jasper Brinkley. But that could change in 2007 if Paulk continues to play well. He was engaged in a season-long battle with Marvin Sapp last season but Sapp’s ankle injury in April’s spring game should provide Paulk with a sizeable advantage when fall camp starts. By the end of the season, we could be saying Paulk is USC’s second best linebacker.
3. Marque Hall: Hall was on the verge of earning the distinction as USC’s best defensive lineman last year when he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia in the second week. As a result, he probably fell out of the consciousness of the media and most USC fans. Without him, the Gamecocks’ rushing defense suffered a downturn. With Hall back in the lineup, look for the Gamecocks to be a lot more ferocious against the ground game in 2007. The fact Hall has two more seasons to patrol the middle of the USC defensive line must have DL coach Brad Lawing salivating.
Honorable Mention: S Brandon Isaac, CB Captain Munnerlyn, DE Eric Norwood, CB Carlos Thomas, DE/LB Casper Brinkley, DL Nathan Pepper, DL Kenrick Ellis.
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A recent post on The Insiders Forum evoked this question: Who do you predict will be USC’s “Breakout Players” in 2007?
Good question.
Before answering, we need to set the parameters. In short, how do you define the term “breakout player”?
Is it someone most USC fans already know about but appears to be underappreciated by rival SEC coaches (ex. Kenny McKinley), or is it someone that hasn’t done much in his USC career to this point but appears on the verge of making a major contribution in 2007?
Stated another way, is a breakout player someone who raises their individual profile within the conference or, examining it more myopically, within their respective team?
I’ll take a hybrid approach.
There’s one important prerequisite for being selected: a player must have been on the team last season. There’s a difference between “emerging” and “breaking out.”
With that being said, here are my three potential “breakout” players on offense:
1. Kenny McKinley: Will McKinley take his All-SEC snub by the coaches as a slap in the face? I hope so. McKinley’s main problem the past two seasons was trying to break free of Sidney Rice’s shadow. Rice received so much attention from fans and the media that I believe McKinley was largely forgotten in spite of his 76 career receptions. He could reach 70 receptions in 2007, and put himself in prime position to become USC’s all-time leading receiver in 2008. Pretty good for a guy who played quarterback in high school.
2. Justin Sorensen: I admit it. Last year at this time I thought Sorenesen was just a big, burly galoot who couldn’t play football very well. He appeared to be too slow and too immobile to hold back SEC defensive linemen. But a funny thing happened on the way to spending his entire career on the bench. He worked tirelessly on his footwork and mobility with offensive line coach John Hunt. He started the final six games at right tackle in 2006 and more than held his on. He was downright dominating at times. This is the year the SEC discovers Justin Sorensen.
3. Jared Cook: Pound-for-pound, Cook may be the best athlete on the team. He runs fast (4.37 speed) and jumps high (vertical leap over 30 inches). His problems have been more mental than physical in his first two years with the team. Steve Spurrier complained this past spring that Cook didn’t know his plays well enough. The coaching staff is begging for someone to step up as the No. 2 receiver behind McKinley. If Cook puts it all together, watch out. You just hope the drop against Auburn didn’t destroy his confidence forever.
Honorable Mention: OL Garrett Anderson, WR Freddie Brown, C William Brown, WR Moe Brown, FB Lanard Stafford, OL James Thompson, TE Nick Prochak.
Here are my three “breakout” players on defense:
1. Emanuel Cook: Cook is as tough as they come. He is absolutely fearless from his strong safety position. He missed three games in the middle of last season because of a left knee sprain suffered in the Wofford game. Here’s the fact you need to know about Cook: despite only playing in 10 games, he tied for third in tackles with 47. His strip of the Clemson tight end was one of the biggest plays of the game. Spurrier has talked about the urgent need to improve USC’s run defense. Cook will play a major role in that effort.
2. Rodney Paulk: Paulk had a very good freshman season with 10 starts and 36 tackles. But like most in USC’s linebacker corp, he’s sort of working in the shadow of Jasper Brinkley. But that could change in 2007 if Paulk continues to play well. He was engaged in a season-long battle with Marvin Sapp last season but Sapp’s ankle injury in April’s spring game should provide Paulk with a sizeable advantage when fall camp starts. By the end of the season, we could be saying Paulk is USC’s second best linebacker.
3. Marque Hall: Hall was on the verge of earning the distinction as USC’s best defensive lineman last year when he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia in the second week. As a result, he probably fell out of the consciousness of the media and most USC fans. Without him, the Gamecocks’ rushing defense suffered a downturn. With Hall back in the lineup, look for the Gamecocks to be a lot more ferocious against the ground game in 2007. The fact Hall has two more seasons to patrol the middle of the USC defensive line must have DL coach Brad Lawing salivating.
Honorable Mention: S Brandon Isaac, CB Captain Munnerlyn, DE Eric Norwood, CB Carlos Thomas, DE/LB Casper Brinkley, DL Nathan Pepper, DL Kenrick Ellis.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.