Spring practice is fully underway for South Carolina, and coach Shane Beamer believes the last two weeks could not have gone much better as his program continues to gain momentum in his second season.
“It was even more intense [Tuesday] than Saturday,” Beamer said of the Gamecocks’ first two practices in pads. “There’s intensity, physicality, our guys have been practicing with great energy all four days.”
Beamer enters a monumental season as he looks to build on a 7-6 campaign and take this team to what has the potential to be a breakout 2022 season and a major building block for a program on the rise.
Today, as we are continuing our spring football coverage by diving into a position group that was frustrating at times in 2021 but is looking to build on momentum from a strong finish: Offensive line.
Catch up on the rest of our spring practice breakdowns here:
Continuity could be key
Beamer spoke pretty passionately this week about how crucial it is to have continuity on his coaching staff. It was one of the core pillars of his dad’s program at Virginia Tech when Frank Beamer had the same defensive coordinator and offensive line coach throughout almost the entirety of his 28-year career with the Hokies.
“I’ve been really pleased with what our guys have been able to retain because they’re not having to learn a new system,” Shane Beamer said. “That was important for us on offense, defense and special teams. Offensively, specifically, it was great to be able to learn to build on the good things we did last year and continue to find ways to improve on what we didn’t do well.”
Beamer was referencing continuity within his coaching staff, where seven of his 10 full-time assistants are all returning for their second year alongside Beamer. That includes four of the five offensive assistants (tight ends coach Jody Wright is the lone first-year assistant on that side of the ball).
But morphing veteran players with those coaches forms a voltron of experience and chemistry. That’s where this Gamecocks offensive line comes into play.
South Carolina returns all five starters up front with senior Eric Douglas as the team’s backbone at center. From left to right: senior Jaylen Nichols should resume his spot as the starting left tackle, junior Vershon Lee at left guard, Douglas, senior Jovaughn Gwyn at right guard, and sophomore Tyshawn Wannamaker at right tackle.
Those five will each have to lock down their starting spots this spring, but that figures to be the starting unit by the time the season opener rolls around.
Seven South Carolina offensive linemen started at least six games in 2021, led by those five with Jakai Moore, Jazston Turnetine, Dylan Wonnum, Hank Manos and Wyatt Campbell each providing depth in the trenches.
Progression or regression?
So, that quintet returns. But will they show the progress needed in order to keep Spencer Rattler upright and get the three-headed ground game of Marshawn Lloyd, Juju McDowell and Rashad Amos up and literally running?
South Carolina’s offensive line was too inconsistent in 2021, allowing 20 sacks in SEC games and averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. The Gamecocks’ offense was an inconsistent mess all around, finishing second-worst in the SEC in points per game (22.6) and yards per game (337.5) and fourth-worst in rushing yards per game (136.38).
You are only as good as your offensive line, as the old coaching cliché goes. And these Gamecocks were only slightly above average at season’s end, and that shows by finishing just one win above .500 – again, a very good season for it being Beamer’s first season but a mark that won’t be good enough in year two.
It’s a big offseason and spring season for offensive line coach Greg Adkins, who will need to coach up this unit and help bring some cohesiveness to a group that showed some positive signs in the last half of the season.
