Published Aug 7, 2019
Muschamp talks offensive line position battles
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Collyn Taylor  •  GamecockScoop
Beat Writer
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@collyntaylor

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

This year’s offensive line has the potential to be the better ones Will Muschamp’s fielded in his four seasons at South Carolina, but the Gamecocks still have a few decisions to make up front before the season kicks off.

Right now Muschamp and offensive line coach Eric Wolford are still deciding on a center and a right guard with no real timetable for when a decision will be made.

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“It’s whenever we feel right. Obviously Eric and I talked. The offensive line and secondary are very similar from a communication standpoint. One fatal mistake from a communication standpoint will absolutely kill you and could lose a football game,” Will Muschamp said. “Getting those guys playing cohesively is very important along. Finding that sixth, seventh and eighth are important.”

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It’s a two-man race at each position with Hank Manos and Chandler Farrell competing for the starting center spot and Jovaughn Gwyn and Eric Douglas listed as the starter at guard on the right side.

Going into the season, Muschamp and Wolford like to have their starting five along with three primary backups: a swing guard, tackle and a backup center.

Because cohesion is so important on the offensive line, it’ll be important to get a starting five named some point before the season starts so whoever wins each spot can begin to get the bulk of first-team snaps before the season opener.

But, Muschamp understands injuries do happen along the offensive line, so it’s still important to get guys first-team reps while the competition is still happening.

“We’d like to do it as soon as possible but we certainly want to give everybody an opportunity during camp to compete and be in a situation,” he said. “You have to prepare for any type of injuries that could happen.”

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The Gamecocks have only been in full pads one day so far during training camp so there’s still a ways to go with the two position races and guys are bouncing around between positions, something Wolford likes to do.

Douglas is a prime example of that, playing all five positions on the line through the first five days of camp and likes the idea of being a swing guy.

Gwyn, who missed almost all of last season with a broken foot, has repped almost exclusively at guard.

“It’s been going good,” he said. “Everybody’s been getting equal reps. It was the first day of pads, so the coaches are making sure everyone’s getting equal reps at that spot.”

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Farrell and Manos are similar to Gwyn, taking the majority of their reps in the middle of the offensive line at center.

Farrell, who earned a scholarship before last season, is competing head to head with Manos, a three-star prospect out of Chapin in last year’s class.

“I mean the relationship between guys never changes. We all come in knowing there’s going to be competition,” Farrell said. “That’s what you want when you come to an SEC school, to compete with your brothers. At the end of the day, we’re always going to be friends. That’s never going to change based on who’s playing and who’s not.”