A Quick Spring Practice Synopsis
posted by Scott Hood, 4/04/2008 02:01:00 PM
Quarterback: Do you think Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher miss Stephen Garcia? Probably not. His absence due to the much-publicized suspension has given the duo more practice snaps and narrowed the race for the starting quarterback job. Smelley believes the QB job has always been his anyways. Let’s hope he plays with the same confidence when the season starts Aug. 28 against N.C. State. If Garcia returns (and that’s a big if in my book) in mid-August, he may get back into the race. Beecher is a decent QB, but Smelley is better right now. Spurrier says the raced is pretty tight. But I say it’s Smelley’s to lose. I expect he’ll start the opener. If he plays well, he’ll remain the starter. If he doesn’t, he won’t. You know the drill when it comes to Spurrier and his quarterbacks.
Running Back: The hamstring injury that has hobbled Mike Davis for the last week or so has given inexperienced running backs such as Brian Maddox and Eric Baker plenty of valuable practice snaps. Watch out for Baker. He’s impressed Robert Gillespie with his shake-and-bake (do they still sell that stuff in grocery stores?) moves. Based on what I’ve seen thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Baker jumped Maddox on the depth chart by the time fall camp closes. USC should enter the season with three decent running backs with Davis, Maddox and Baker. Bobby Wallace? Forget about him. His academic problems have totally frustrated the coaching staff. No practice, no play.
Offensive Line: It might not be the mishmash it was when the 2007 season closed, but there’s still plenty of questions surrounding this position. The biggest question is what USC is going to do to at left tackle with Jamon Meredith out for the first two games. You know that story by now. Hutch Eckerson looks like he’s going to win that spot over Quintin Richardson. Here’s the dilemma: what happens when Meredith comes back and Eckerson is playing well? I can assure you Eckerson won’t be moved. The coaches would have to find a new position for Meredith, a fifth year senior. Will he end up at right tackle in place of Justin Sorensen? As far as the guards are concerned, we know Heath Batchelor will likely start at one of the spots. Garrett Anderson’s health has muddled the picture at center.
Wide Receiver: Has anybody really stood out? I don’t think so. Kenny McKinley is sitting out with a toe injury and Dion Lecorn still has some legal concerns. Chris Culliver and Mark Barnes have shifted to safety. Jason Barnes showed signs in the last practice of coming around, but he has to do it on a consistent basis. Once he does, he’s see the field more often. Will it be Joseph Hills? Matt Clements? Moe Brown has shown improvement after two mediocre seasons. Freddie Brown does what he does best, which is catch short passes. Larry Freeman? It seems like he’s done more on special teams.
Defensive Line: Brad Lawing has plenty of bodies. He’ll add several more to the mix when fall camp starts. The biggest news, of course, has been the exchange of Cliff Matthews and Eric Norwood at defensive end and linebacker, respectively. Ellis Johnson says both players are in their proper roles, so it should work. Lawing is a huge Matthews fan, so he’s entrenched at one DE spot. Ladi Ajiboye is a beast at DT and appears ready to take his game to another level after becoming a Freshman All-America last season. The other DT spot is up for grabs. The DE spot opposite Matthews should see Jordin Lindsey or Travian Robertson claim the job. Lawing promised plenty of competition when spring practice opened and that’s the way it’s played out.
Linebacker: Obviously, this position will look a lot different in the fall with Jasper Brinkley and Marvin Sapp set to return from injuries. Both are avoiding contact this spring. Brinkley could probably go, but the coaching staff is being extremely smart in playing it conservative. No football games are won in the spring. Right now, you have Melvin Ingram and Rodney Paulk playing in the middle, but it’s questionable whether either one will remain there in the fall when Brinkley returns. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson definitely wants to get Ingram on the field with his combination of size and speed. There’s also the emerging young guns such as Alonzo Winfield and Shaq Wilson. Gerrod Sinclair appears ready to earn playing time as well.
Secondary: No matter what happens this spring, we already know three-quarters of the starting secondary when the season opens Aug. 28: CB Captain Munnerlyn, SS Emanuel Cook and FS Darian Stewart. Munnerlyn is out while he heals from a broken foot suffered in the Arkansas game. The question that must be answered by the coaching staff is who starts at the CB spot opposite Munnerlyn. Will it be a veteran like Carlos Thomas, who has had some personal issues, or Stoney Woodson, or will one of the younger guys such as Addison Williams, Jamire Williams (who’s bothered right now with an injury) or Akeem Auguste claim the spot? The battle has been interesting to watch, and it should continue into the fall.
South Carolina has conducted eight of the 15 practices the all-powerful NCAA allows under their arcane rules, so let’s take stock of where the Gamecocks stand at each primary position:
Quarterback: Do you think Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher miss Stephen Garcia? Probably not. His absence due to the much-publicized suspension has given the duo more practice snaps and narrowed the race for the starting quarterback job. Smelley believes the QB job has always been his anyways. Let’s hope he plays with the same confidence when the season starts Aug. 28 against N.C. State. If Garcia returns (and that’s a big if in my book) in mid-August, he may get back into the race. Beecher is a decent QB, but Smelley is better right now. Spurrier says the raced is pretty tight. But I say it’s Smelley’s to lose. I expect he’ll start the opener. If he plays well, he’ll remain the starter. If he doesn’t, he won’t. You know the drill when it comes to Spurrier and his quarterbacks.
Running Back: The hamstring injury that has hobbled Mike Davis for the last week or so has given inexperienced running backs such as Brian Maddox and Eric Baker plenty of valuable practice snaps. Watch out for Baker. He’s impressed Robert Gillespie with his shake-and-bake (do they still sell that stuff in grocery stores?) moves. Based on what I’ve seen thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Baker jumped Maddox on the depth chart by the time fall camp closes. USC should enter the season with three decent running backs with Davis, Maddox and Baker. Bobby Wallace? Forget about him. His academic problems have totally frustrated the coaching staff. No practice, no play.
Offensive Line: It might not be the mishmash it was when the 2007 season closed, but there’s still plenty of questions surrounding this position. The biggest question is what USC is going to do to at left tackle with Jamon Meredith out for the first two games. You know that story by now. Hutch Eckerson looks like he’s going to win that spot over Quintin Richardson. Here’s the dilemma: what happens when Meredith comes back and Eckerson is playing well? I can assure you Eckerson won’t be moved. The coaches would have to find a new position for Meredith, a fifth year senior. Will he end up at right tackle in place of Justin Sorensen? As far as the guards are concerned, we know Heath Batchelor will likely start at one of the spots. Garrett Anderson’s health has muddled the picture at center.
Wide Receiver: Has anybody really stood out? I don’t think so. Kenny McKinley is sitting out with a toe injury and Dion Lecorn still has some legal concerns. Chris Culliver and Mark Barnes have shifted to safety. Jason Barnes showed signs in the last practice of coming around, but he has to do it on a consistent basis. Once he does, he’s see the field more often. Will it be Joseph Hills? Matt Clements? Moe Brown has shown improvement after two mediocre seasons. Freddie Brown does what he does best, which is catch short passes. Larry Freeman? It seems like he’s done more on special teams.
Defensive Line: Brad Lawing has plenty of bodies. He’ll add several more to the mix when fall camp starts. The biggest news, of course, has been the exchange of Cliff Matthews and Eric Norwood at defensive end and linebacker, respectively. Ellis Johnson says both players are in their proper roles, so it should work. Lawing is a huge Matthews fan, so he’s entrenched at one DE spot. Ladi Ajiboye is a beast at DT and appears ready to take his game to another level after becoming a Freshman All-America last season. The other DT spot is up for grabs. The DE spot opposite Matthews should see Jordin Lindsey or Travian Robertson claim the job. Lawing promised plenty of competition when spring practice opened and that’s the way it’s played out.
Linebacker: Obviously, this position will look a lot different in the fall with Jasper Brinkley and Marvin Sapp set to return from injuries. Both are avoiding contact this spring. Brinkley could probably go, but the coaching staff is being extremely smart in playing it conservative. No football games are won in the spring. Right now, you have Melvin Ingram and Rodney Paulk playing in the middle, but it’s questionable whether either one will remain there in the fall when Brinkley returns. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson definitely wants to get Ingram on the field with his combination of size and speed. There’s also the emerging young guns such as Alonzo Winfield and Shaq Wilson. Gerrod Sinclair appears ready to earn playing time as well.
Secondary: No matter what happens this spring, we already know three-quarters of the starting secondary when the season opens Aug. 28: CB Captain Munnerlyn, SS Emanuel Cook and FS Darian Stewart. Munnerlyn is out while he heals from a broken foot suffered in the Arkansas game. The question that must be answered by the coaching staff is who starts at the CB spot opposite Munnerlyn. Will it be a veteran like Carlos Thomas, who has had some personal issues, or Stoney Woodson, or will one of the younger guys such as Addison Williams, Jamire Williams (who’s bothered right now with an injury) or Akeem Auguste claim the spot? The battle has been interesting to watch, and it should continue into the fall.
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