Projections are always fun, and with South Carolina five practices into training camp with practice No. 6 Thursday afternoon, it gives a clearer picture of what a starting group could look like.

After seeing two portions of practice and speaking with players in availabilities, there's at least a picture of which 11 players could jog onto the field first Sept. 4 against Eastern Illinois.

Here's what a starting lineup could look like on the defensive side of the ball. For the purposes of this exercise, the projected lineup will be in the Gamecocks' base 4-2-5 defense.