5 Predictions Following the Lattimore Commitment
posted by Scott Hood, Tuesday, February 02, 2010
1. USC Will Finish Among The Top Six In Rushing Offense In The SEC: Lattimore makes what would have been a deep backfield even deeper, possibly one of the deepest in the SEC next season. Kenny Miles enjoyed a solid season in 2009 with 626 yards, while Jarvis Giles (277 yards) showed flashes of his ability in the first half of the season. Brian Maddox (307 yards) begins his senior season. Lattimore will arrive in the summer and immediately challenge for playing time. The competition should make everybody better. No question, pre-season camp will be fun.
2. Lattimore Will Be USC’s Leading Rusher in 2010: Lattimore isn’t the top running back prospect in the nation for nothing. He possesses the size, speed and talent to succeed immediately in the SEC. While nothing is guaranteed, the coaching staff won’t waste much time getting Lattimore the ball. Over time, I expect Lattimore will establish himself as USC’s best option at running back, just like Miles did in the second half of 2009 when he climbed from fourth string to starter. How many yards will Lattimore get? Maybe not 1,000, but close to it.
3. Lattimore Will Be A Freshman All-American: Ironically, one of his competitors for a spot in the backfield should be Michael Dyer, a five-star running back who signed with Auburn. Some people thought Lattimore and Dyer could form a devastating backfield duo for the Tigers along the lines of Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. But it won’t happen. Lattimore and Dyer will duel on the Plains on September 25. The Auburn fans could have a “special” greeting for Lattimore.
4. Lattimore’s Presence Will Energize The USC Fan Base: All of a sudden, making those YES payments won’t be such an ordeal for many Gamecock fans. The next seven months leading up to the season opener will be filled with optimistic talk about 2010 rather than reflecting back on the miserable bowl performance. At this point, some USC fans probably don’t even remember the score of the bowl game. I fully expect every home game will be sold out in 2010, particularly the first four (Southern Miss, Georgia, Furman, Alabama) in the first five weeks at Williams-Brice Stadium.
5. Lattimore Will Break Multiple Freshman Records: According to the USC media guide, the single game record for rushing by a freshman is 278 yards by Brandon Bennett in 1991. That record might be safe but I expect Lattimore will challenge the record for most points scored by a freshman in a single game (18), touchdowns in a single game (3) and most touchdowns by a freshman in a single season (13). I wouldn’t be surprised if Lattimore establishes new standards in all three categories.
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Marcus Lattimore is a Gamecock. Well, technically, not until 4 p.m. Wednesday when he is scheduled to sign his national letter of intent at Byrnes High School. What does his commitment mean? Assuming Lattimore doesn’t experience a change or heart at the 23:59 mark, here are 10 predictions for 2010 in the wake of his announcement Tuesday night at his church.
1. USC Will Finish Among The Top Six In Rushing Offense In The SEC: Lattimore makes what would have been a deep backfield even deeper, possibly one of the deepest in the SEC next season. Kenny Miles enjoyed a solid season in 2009 with 626 yards, while Jarvis Giles (277 yards) showed flashes of his ability in the first half of the season. Brian Maddox (307 yards) begins his senior season. Lattimore will arrive in the summer and immediately challenge for playing time. The competition should make everybody better. No question, pre-season camp will be fun.
2. Lattimore Will Be USC’s Leading Rusher in 2010: Lattimore isn’t the top running back prospect in the nation for nothing. He possesses the size, speed and talent to succeed immediately in the SEC. While nothing is guaranteed, the coaching staff won’t waste much time getting Lattimore the ball. Over time, I expect Lattimore will establish himself as USC’s best option at running back, just like Miles did in the second half of 2009 when he climbed from fourth string to starter. How many yards will Lattimore get? Maybe not 1,000, but close to it.
3. Lattimore Will Be A Freshman All-American: Ironically, one of his competitors for a spot in the backfield should be Michael Dyer, a five-star running back who signed with Auburn. Some people thought Lattimore and Dyer could form a devastating backfield duo for the Tigers along the lines of Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. But it won’t happen. Lattimore and Dyer will duel on the Plains on September 25. The Auburn fans could have a “special” greeting for Lattimore.
4. Lattimore’s Presence Will Energize The USC Fan Base: All of a sudden, making those YES payments won’t be such an ordeal for many Gamecock fans. The next seven months leading up to the season opener will be filled with optimistic talk about 2010 rather than reflecting back on the miserable bowl performance. At this point, some USC fans probably don’t even remember the score of the bowl game. I fully expect every home game will be sold out in 2010, particularly the first four (Southern Miss, Georgia, Furman, Alabama) in the first five weeks at Williams-Brice Stadium.
5. Lattimore Will Break Multiple Freshman Records: According to the USC media guide, the single game record for rushing by a freshman is 278 yards by Brandon Bennett in 1991. That record might be safe but I expect Lattimore will challenge the record for most points scored by a freshman in a single game (18), touchdowns in a single game (3) and most touchdowns by a freshman in a single season (13). I wouldn’t be surprised if Lattimore establishes new standards in all three categories.
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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 @.