Gamecock Digest

Observations From Day One Of Spring Practice

South Carolina's Football team took the field earlier today for their first practice of the Spring. What were the main takeaways of note?

Andrew Lyon

Observations From Day One Of Spring Practice
Observations From Day One Of Spring Practice /

Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Football program are entering a pivotal five-week stretch where, through multiple practices, they hope to lay the groundwork for the upcoming 2023 season. Spencer Rattler and his offensive teammates will look to take the next step under new offensive play-caller Dowell Loggains, while Clayton White and the defensive coaching staff are looking for an abundance of returners and newcomers to fill in the gaps that have been left behind by some productive upperclassmen.

The team began their quest towards accomplishing the goals mentioned above on Tuesday morning, so what were the main takeaways?

Veterans Led The Way

When it comes to Spring practice, most football programs see their veterans hold an early advantage in terms of their unofficial depth chart when out on the practice field, and that was the case with South Carolina on Tuesday morning. At running back, rising junior Juju McDowell took first-team reps when the offense ran plays against air. Experience is also being valued with the offensive line, with the following group taking part in first-team reps from left to right; Jaylen Nichols, Jakai Moore, Vershon Lee, Trai Jones, and Tyshawn Wannamaker.

There's a long way to go until April 15th, when the Spring game takes place, but those who know the program best are leading the charge.

Multiple Newcomers Are Physically Ready

One facet of the program that should be fine at this point in Shane Beamer's tenure is the team's overall strength and conditioning. Based on some newcomers I watched this morning, being in physical shape is the least of the Gamecocks' problems. I took particular note of early enrollees Desmond Umeozulu and LaNorris Sellers during practice, with both guys already fitting the SEC billing and, to my eye, having added some good weight to their frames.

Tight end Trey Knox and running back Mario Anderson Jr. also stood out as players who look like they belong in the SEC, which is to be expected with them being transfers.

No Major Injuries Of Note

The best news coming out of the open portion of today's practice is that no players seemed to be out for any significant injury-related reasons. On that same note, Mohamed Kaba and Jordan Strachan both participated in warmups and seem to be progressing quite nicely in terms of their rehabilitation related to their ACL tears.

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Andrew Lyon
ANDREW LYON

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