It’s arguable that no one position group will determine how the South Carolina Gamecock offense performs in 2009 more than the offensive line. New line coach Eric Wolford hopes to field a tougher and more aggressive unit this season. This article takes a look at where things stand at each offensive line spot as of today, and also offers a glimpse of some position changes you could see once fall camp opens.
Tackle With fall practice less than one month away, it’s primarily a three-man battle at the tackle spots with junior
Hutch Eckerson, junior
Jarriel King and redshirt sophomore
Quintin Richardson as the combatants. Some have penciled King in as the definite starter at the left tackle spot, but that is not the case as of today. Richardson showed improvement as the spring progressed and Eckerson has reportedly displayed a renewed commitment to doing what’s necessary this off-season. King had an uneven spring and must show more consistency this fall to lock down a starting spot. The most likely scenario is for the two best performers in fall practice out of this group will be the opening day starters, and the odd man out will be cross-trained to be the backup at both tackle spots.
Redshirt sophomore
Kyle Nunn showed a willingness to battle hard in the spring but still has some work to do to get to where he needs to be physically. He has reportedly made progress in the weight room this summer and has the opportunity to work his way into the left tackle mix if he continues to improve this fall.
In terms of newcomers, only
Kevious Watkins has a chance to enter the fray at one of the tackle spots, provided he meets the academic requirements to enroll at Carolina in August. Whether he challenges for playing time will come down to how quickly he can grasp the offensive system and where he is from a conditioning standpoint.
Guard Redshirt freshman
T.J. Johnson will open fall practice as the starter at right guard, and the left guard spot will be up for grabs. Senior
Lemuel Jeanpierre will return from a knee injury suffered in the spring and is the most experienced guard Wolford has to work with, but he was an inconsistent performer in 2008. Junior
Terrence Campbell also has a number of game snaps under his belt and has seen time at both left and right guard. Wolford will also welcome back
Heath Batchelor, who took a leave of absence from the team to deal with some personal issues. The junior is back in school and is expected to open fall practice as a guard, likely on the left side. As things stand today, Johnson, Jeanpierre, Campbell and Batchelor are the only returning guards seriously in the mix for meaningful playing time in 2009.
As for newcomers, both
Nick Allison and
Steven Singleton project as interior players once practice gets underway next month. Allison enrolled in the first session of summer school and has shown some physical talent in voluntary workouts. The coaches would still like to redshirt him and prep him for a strong contribution in 2010 if possible. Singleton is finishing up his class work at Georgia Military and is expected to be in Columbia towards the end of this month or early August. Physically, he is ready to make an impact. As with Watkins, the keys for an instant impact will be how quickly he learns his assignments and grasps the offensive scheme.
Center Senior
Garrett Anderson returns in 2009 after manning the starting center spot for all of the 2008 season. While he is the clear starter, Wolford pushed Anderson hard to show more toughness and aggressiveness in the spring and it will carry over into the fall. Should something happen where Anderson was out for an extended period of time this season, look for Johnson or Jeanpierre to move into the center role until Anderson returned.
Bottom Line As mentioned earlier, how this offensive line performs in 2009 will be vital to any offensive improvement Steve Spurrier’s group makes. While the line showed signs of life during spring practice, it’s still far from a finished product with fall practice just over three weeks away. Wolford is putting a premium on toughness, something Spurrier’s lines have lacked during most of his tenure, especially in the running game. The more success the young Gamecock backs have at running the football, the more wins this team is likely to rack up this season.
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