As the Gamecocks prepare to begin their first spring practice under Coach Steve Spurrier, due to a dismissal of one player and the pending legal cases of several others, the depth chart will be quite different from the one expected when this past season ended.

There are, in fact, more than a few positions that will be dangerously thin in numbers and/or experience when the squad hits the field this Saturday for the first of 15 sessions.

We'll begin with the offensive side of the football where the most problems appear to be.

QUARTERBACK

It seems highly unlikely that the offensive staff will be able to conduct the kind of drills they normally would during a spring, because there is a strong possibility that the Gamecocks will have only two scholarship and one walkon signal callers available.

The word "possibility" exists pending the outcome of a second appeal to the NCAA for another year of eligibility for Mike Rathe (6-1, 205). Rathe's first appeal for a sixth year was denied in late January, but his parents have since hired a lawyer to argue his case before college athletics' governing board.

Their appeal is based on the fact that Rathe played in just one junior varsity game at the University of San Diego before missing the season with an injured thumb. He then transferred to Mesa (Calif.) Junior College for two seasons before enrolling at USC in January of 2003.

Rathe emerged from the spring that season as the No. 2 quarterback but fell out of favor with Coach Lou Holtz when he threw a critical interception against Georgia in the third game of the season.

His biggest moment as a Gamecock came this past season when he came off the bench to throw the winning touchdown in a 12-7 victory over Kentucky. For the season, he was 12-of-18 passing for 143 yards, two TDs, with one interception.

The outcome of his second appeal should be known by the end of the week, and if granted, Rathe would certainly be considered a contender for the starting job in 2005.

If not, then the leader for the starting nod would have to be redshirt sophomore Blake Mitchell (6-4, 200). Expected to be the heir apparent to departed senior Dondrial Pinkins, the LaGrange, Ga., native had a very up and down 2004 season. On the year, he completed just 9-of-22 passes for 86 yards, one touchdown, with three interceptions.

He was at his best against Ole Miss when he completed 3-of-5 passes including a 17-yard pass to tight end Andy Boyd for a touchdown. He was at his worst the very next week against Kentucky, when he completed just 2-of-7 passes for 10 yards and two interceptions. During his brief appearances last season he often had that "deer in the headlights" look, but he has the opportunity to excel in Coach Spurrier's drop back passing attack.

As hard as it is to believe, sources say Mitchell also has some academic issues to clear up before the fall.

Redshirt freshman Antonio Heffner (6-1, 180) will be the other scholarship player in spring practice. The only time Gamecock fans got to see the Memphis, Tenn., native was during pregame warm-ups this past season, as he dressed for all 11 of USC's games, where he demonstrated a strong arm and athleticism. He has been compared to former Gamecock Anthony Wright, now with the Baltimore Ravens.

Heffner should be a good fit for the new system, and if Rathe's appeal is denied and Mitchell falters, he could contend for the starting job.

Syvelle Newton (6-1, 211, JR.), who was the leading passer and third-leading rusher this past season, and who still has legal and academic issues to resolve, was slated to begin the spring as a slot receiver, but recently Coach Spurrier has said he "might take a few snaps from the shotgun formation."

Walkon Brett Nichols (6-1, 220, RS/JR.), will be invaluable in helping the squad with drills.

RUNNING BACK

With the dismissal of Demetris Summers from the squad for a violation of team rules, the running back position is equally thin.

Along with Summers, the leading rusher in 2004 with 487 yards, Gonzie Gray, who claimed the 5th spot on the list with 220 yards and Andre Gause (40 yards on 17 carries) have graduated and will not return.

Junior Cory Boyd (6-1, 205), the team's 2nd-leading ground gainer this past season with 309 yards, who was scheduled to move to slot receiver, has asked and received permission to return to running back. That leaves Daccus Turman (5-11, 225, Sr.), more of a fullback than a tailback despite his size, as the only other returning scholarship running back who has seen playing time.

Albert Ashcraft (6-3, 210) was redshirted as a freshman this past season, and when Lou Holtz reported on the progress of the redshirts, he barely mentioned the Monroe, N.C. native.

FULLBACK

And speaking of fullback, Jamie Peters (6-2, 240, TR/SR.) carried the ball twice for no gain in 2004, while Ryan Brown (6-2, 238, RS/SO.), who started his career as a linebacker, moved to the position during the season.

Antonio Lamar (6-2, 240, RS/FR.), who reported to the team late because of an NCAA Clearinghouse issue, drew rants and raves from the coaches and his teammates during the season for his skill and toughness as a member of the scout squad. However, when I ran into Lamar at a basketball game before the start of winter workouts, he reported his weight was up to 270, a not-so-very fullback physique.

Dustin Lindsey (6-4, 235, RS/FR.) saw some duty at fullback as a true freshman, but will return to the defense as a linebacker in 2005.

TIGHT END

Brian Brownlee graduated, but the other starting tight end, Andy Boyd (6-5, 260, RS/JR.) returns. This past season, Boyd caught one pass for 17 yards.

James Scott (6-3, 260, RS/SR.) moved from defensive end to the position during last season. David Laggis (6-4, 250, RS/FR.) got a few snaps but is scheduled to move to DE this spring. The only other scholarship player at tight end, redshirt sophomore Robert Pavlovic (6-4, 235) has yet to fire a shot.

WIDE RECEIVER

Troy Williamson, who led all receivers with 835 yards, has bolted for the NFL a year early and Matthew Thomas has graduated.

The top returning wide out is Noah Whiteside (6-0, 180), who caught 20 passes for 290 yards in 10 games played. Three other returning scholarship players who caught one pass each this past season are redshirt sophomores D'Von Hill (6-4, 214), Travis Lee (6-1, 188) and David Smith (6-4, 205).

Sidney Rice (6-4, 195, RS/FR.) was expected to be a threat as a true freshman before he missed the season with an injury.

Two walkons, Michael Flint (6-2, 203, SR.) and Kris Clark (5-11, 188, Sr.) caught three and two passes respectively.

And the now famous walkon, Tim "Pops" Frisby (6-1, 188) , the 40-year-old Army veteran, returns for his sophomore season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

While the Gamecocks are believed to have two All-SEC-caliber tackles, just how the interior of the offensive line will shape up is still a question mark.

The first thing you will notice about three-year starter Jabari Levey (6-7, 320, RS/SR.) and two-year starter Na'Shan Goddard (6-6, 305, SR.) is that both have lost weight from last season to hopefully improve their mobility and quickness.

Both struggled with inconsistency last season, and if the Gamecocks are to be successful they will have to anchor what we will be a young "O" line overall.

The only other scholarship players who saw action at tackle last season are James Thompson (6-4, 310, So.), who showed promise as a true freshman but who played overweight and Jamon Meredith (6-6, 255), who hopes to get his freshman year back as he was injured in the season opener against Vanderbilt and missed the rest of the season.

Thompson and Meredith were two of eight offensive linemen brought in last year. Six of them redshirted, but Evan Spanogians has returned to his native Ohio and John Paul Gillis is scheduled for back surgery, which will likely end his career.

Of the remaining three, Jeremy Burgess (6-5, 280) and Josh Winchell (6-5, 305) are expected to need another year. Justin Sorenson (6-8, 320) has the size and athleticism to possibly make a contribution in the fall, as does fellow Canadian Gurminder Thind (6-5, 290). This will be an important spring for both of them.

Woodly Telfort (6-7, 320, TR/SR.) would likely have been in the mix, but he is one of the players in more serious legal troubles for theft of computer equipment from the stadium and he remains indefinitely suspended. His future with the program is very iffy.

Thompson and Meredith could compete at guard with William Brown (6-5, 280, RS/SO.), who was a solid backup most of this past season. Freddie Saint-Preux (6-5, 295, TR/SR.), who was also arrested on petit larceny charges for removing a picture from the stadium, is expected to practice this spring.

Chris White (6-4, 310, RS/JR.) has moved between guard and center the past two seasons, but he is the leading candidate to take over the center spot for the departed John Strickland. He was responsible for the most false starts and holding penalties last season and he will have to improve his consistency in 2005, especially with his snaps in the shotgun formation.

Chris Mick 6-5, 290, RS/JR.) missed last season with a wrist injury that has forced him to give up the game.

Fran Person (6-6, 285, RS/SR.) was a tight end his freshman season when he redshirted, and at the beginning of his redshirt freshman season before moving to defensive end late in 2002. In 2003 he was a defensive end but moved back to tight end at the end of the year. This past season he started out at defensive tackle before moving to center where he will start this spring.

We'll switch sides now, and if you think the offense has depth problems, then be aware that the defensive unit has serious problems of its own.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The problems for the line begin with the graduation of Darrell Shropshire, Preston Thorne and Jason Capers. Throw in the felony arrest of K.T. Mainord, whose USC career is likely over, and what you have left is a seldom-used senior, two sophomores and a freshman to man the front.

Chris Tucker (6-2, 304, RS/SR.), who played on the offensive line most of this past season and who battled a foot injury the previous two years, will be a defensive lineman this season. He needs to step up his play in his final year.

Stanley Doughty (6-2, 300, RS/SO.) really started to show promise this past season after spending a redshirt year losing weight and improving his conditioning. As a backup to Shropshire, he appeared in 10 games and recorded 12 total tackles with 3.5 for loss.

Marque Hall (6-4, 290, SO.) was expected to earn some playing time last season as a true freshman, but by the end of the year he was a starter. He finished with nine total stops, with one forced fumble and he could be a star of the future.

Matt Raysor (6-4, 285, RS/FR.) redshirted last year but USC's coaches are hoping he'll step up his intensity. He reportedly has the speed and quickness to develop into a fine player, and this will be an important spring for him to prove his abilities.

Eric Stroman (6-3, 285, RS/SR.) has battled injuries his entire career, the first two seasons a knee, the last two by two surgeries on a foot. There was some thought of moving him to offense, but with the likely departure of Mainord, he will start the spring at defensive tackle.

DEFENSIVE END

With the sad news of the felony arrest of Moe Thompson, the Gamecocks will most likely be robbed of one of their returning starters at defensive end. That's especially costly as last year's other starter, George Gause, has graduated.

That paves the way for two senior junior college transfers to claim the starting spots. De'Adrian Coley (6-3, TR/SR.), who played last season at an undersized 240, has reportedly beefed up to the 260 range for next season. As a backup to Gause, Coley played in 10 games and recorded nine total tackles, with one sack.

Charles Silas (6-6, 255, TR/SR.) will likely get the nod at the other end. He struggled with his conditioning early in the season, but was pushing Thompson by the end of the year. He also had nine total stops, with 2.5 for loss and one sack. Those two could turn out to be a formidable pair in 2005.

As stated above, David Laggis moved to defensive end during the season and played the position in the J.V. game against Georgia Military, the spot he played during his high school career.

Jordin Lindsey (6-4, 228, SO.) played mostly on special teams as a true freshman last season and got a few snaps as a linebacker. He will need to add a bunch of pounds to compete in the SEC, but he has the toughness to play the end spot.

One player who has returned to the Gamecocks could help at linebacker or defensive end. He is Josh Johnson (6-3, 235), who played both spots as a true freshman in 2003. He dropped out of school last season but returned in January and has gone through winter workouts. His presence will certainly be welcomed from a depth standpoint.

LINEBACKERS

The first thing you will notice about the linebacker corps is the movement of several safety-type players to the outside linebacker position as USC's new defensive coordinator John Thompson and Linebacker's Coach Ron Cooper look to add speed to the corners of the Gamecock defense.

The inside spots will be manned by a couple of seniors. Ricardo Hurley (6-2, 230, SR.) finally overcame injuries this past season to finish as the team's fifth-leading tackler with 53 total stops, four for loss, with one sack, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery. An excellent defender against the rush, he needs to improve his pass-coverage skills in his final season.

By the end of the season, Orus Lambert (6-2, 240, RS/SR.) was a more than dependable backup to the now departed Marcus Lawrence. He recorded 22 total tackles in 2004, with one fumble recovery. He will likely man the middle linebacker spot.

After finishing third in tackles in 2002 with 90, Lance Laury (6-2, 240, RS/SR.) has battled a nagging knee injury the past two seasons which has slowed his progress. He had 12 tackles in nine games in 2004 and will likely move into a backup spot to Lambert.

Terrell Davis (6-0, 197, RS/SR.) a defensive back his first three seasons, was moved to linebacker last spring. He spent 2004 as a backup to Laury and the departed Rod Wilson.

Alonzo Middleton (6-2, 235, RS/FR.) heads a talented group of youngsters who will compete for playing time this spring.

Cody Wells (5-11, 205, RS/SO.), a safety when he arrived at USC, has moved to the outside linebacker spot, that resembles the old Spur position in past defenses.

He will battle junior college transfer Mike West (6-2, 215, TR/SO.) who enrolled at USC in January. With three years to play and with 4.37 speed, West is expected to become the consummate outside linebacker before his career is over.

Dustin Lindsey (6-4, 240, SO.) was a terror on special teams last season as a true freshman. He recorded four tackles as a reserve linebacker and is working to get bigger and stronger for the fall.

Curtis Rice (6-2, 210, RS/SO.), a backup at linebacker and defensive end last season, played mainly on special teams in 2004.

SAFETY

The 2nd-leading tackler and everybody's Freshman All-American, Ko Simpson (6-2, 180, SO.) could also be moved to an outside linebacker spot with his quickness and knack for finding the football. He had 61 total tackles, a team-leading six interceptions and three fumble recoveries this past season. Wherever he plays, you can bet he will be a major contributor to USC's defense.

Simpson will likely stay at safety depending on the progress of several young prospects. Ty Erving (5-11, 190, RS/SO.), Chris Hampton (6-1, 175, SO.), who saw some playing time as a true freshman, and redshirt freshman Trent Usher (6-0, 190) will all vie for playing time this spring.

CORNERBACKS

Maybe the best news for the cornerback position is the return of Johnathan Joseph (5-11, 187, TR/JR.), who went down against Georgia and has applied for a redshirt season. A starter, he displayed the speed and talent to be a true cover-corner and the toughness to be an excellent tackler.

He should team with Fred Bennett (6-2, 186, SO.) to form an outstanding duo at the two corners. As a true freshman last season, Bennett recorded 32 total tackles, 28 of which were solo, had four interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Depth could be a problem with only senior Tremaine Tyler (6-0, 181), redshirt freshman Stoney Woodson (5-11, 175) and walkon Jerod June (6-1, 180, RS/JR.) listed at the position heading into the spring.

KICKERS

The punting game should remain in the capable hands of Josh Brown (6-2, 190, RS/SR.), who averaged 37.4 yards per boot this past season, with walkon deep snapper Ike Crofoot (6-1, 171, SR), and walkon Scott Morgan (6-0, 210, RS/JR.) who did most of the snapping for field goals and extra points.

With the departure of Joey Bowers, walkons Charlie Carpenter (5-9, 190, RS/JR.), and Kip Covington (6-0, 200, RS/JR.) will compete for the placekicking job while the team awaits the arrival of freshman scholarship kicker Ryan Succop (6-2, 190) this fall.