Advertisement
football Edit

Muschamp updates position battles, injuries

While the biggest position battle of training camp is over, the Gamecocks have a few more lingering as they begin preparations for Tennessee.

Collin Hill is the team's starter Week 1, with Muschamp saying "it's Collin's game" against the Vols, but South Carolina still has question marks at one tackle spot, the running back position and the team's fifth defensive back in nickel.

After the first practice after training camp ended, Muschamp spoke with South Carolina media relations to address some of those competitions.

Jazston Turnetine || Courtesy South Carolina athletics
Jazston Turnetine || Courtesy South Carolina athletics
Advertisement

First up was running back, where the Gamecocks have four guys vying for the carries in sophomore Kevin Harris, redshirt sophomore Deshaun Fenwick, junior ZaQuandre White and freshman Rashad Amos.

White, a four-star junior college transfer, has done good things but spent a lot of training camp hobbled with a hamstring injury and right now things are still up in the air with that position.

“I don’t know if anyone’s distanced themselves. Kevin wasn’t’ at the last scrimmage because of family matters but he’s been the most consistent back," Muschamp said. 'Deshaun’s done some nice things, ZaQuandre’s done some nice things for us. We need to get him back to where he’s full speed. I don’t know if he’s full speed but he looks good.”

Muschamp did say the Gamecocks are getting closer to naming a starter at tackle with four guys competing for one spot.

Dylan Wonnum will be at one tackle spot and it's between freshmen Vershon Lee and Jakai Moore, sophomore Jaylen Nichols and junior college transfer Jazston Turnetine for the available spot.

If Turnetine wins the job, he'd likely start at left tackle and if he doesn't then Wonnum would while either Moore, Nichols ore Lee start at right.

"Fortunately, we've got a couple extra days to work through that," Muschamp said. "We're still rotating some guys through," Muschamp said. "Dylan (Wonnum) can play both right and left (tackle); he feels comfortable at both. So we'll make those decisions probably in the early part of next week."

Muschamp also talked about finding a fifth defensive back when the Gamecocks go into nickel, and said it might end up being a collection of guys.

“Just different combinations of different people. Whether Jaycee (Horn's) playing nickel, whether Israel (Mukuamu's) playing safety, whether they’re both staying at corner and Shilo’s coming in at safety," Muschamp said. "We have a DIME package where RJ (Roderick) can play the DIME, and we’ll get Jahmar (Brown) back and he could play the DIME as well. We have some different combinations. The guys who are communicating and playing the best are the guys we’ll go with.”

Brown's been out for a few weeks dealing with a knee sprain, and Muschamp said the team hopes to get him back next week before playing Tennessee on Sept. 26.

When healthy, Brown is the Gamecocks' starting DIME linebacker.

Muschamp also said Trai Jones, who's dealing with an ankle injury "will be fine and he'll be back."

Advertisement