The lingering depth chart questions as Gamecocks open 2024 camp today

South Carolina, entering year four of the Shane Beamer era, begins preseason camp on Friday.

The big question seems to be when, not whether, LaNorris Sellers is going to be named the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback for Week One. Beamer has already said the redshirt freshman is in pole position heading into the fall, but it seems likely Beamer will wait a few weeks before giving the final verdict between Sellers and Auburn transfer Robby Ashford.

Whenever there is even a remote quarterback competition, it will be the theme of camp.

But here are four other key depth chart questions the Gamecocks need to answer before opening their 2024 season against Old Dominion on Aug. 31.

LEFT TACKLE

Yes, there is a competition going on at every offensive line spot aside from center (redshirt senior Vershon Lee has that locked down). But the intrigue isn’t necessarily who’s going to win what job but, rather, is Josiah Thompson going to start?

Is South Carolina going to roll out an 18-year old to the blind side not because the depth stinks and it has to, but because Beamer and Co. recruited so well that the 18-year-old is better than everyone else?

That is perhaps the most fun question of the preseason.

Thompson, a five-star true freshman out of Dillon High, arrived in Columbia back in January with all the expectations in the world. But freshman offensive lineman are meant to redshirt. Learn the playbook. Bulk up. Master your technique. Wait a year, then think about playing.

But Thompson has made such an impression that, on the outside, it will almost be disappointing if he’s not out there starting against Old Dominion. The 2023 Mr. Football South Carolina left Dillon at around 275 pounds. Then came the college weight program and eight (!) meals a day. Already up to 290 pounds, he’ll likely be over 300 by the time the season begins.

To start at left tackle, Thompson will have to beat out, namely, three guys.

Redshirt freshman Tree Babalade was the beneficiary of some OL injuries and became the Gamecocks’ starting left tackle by the third game of his collegiate career and hung onto the job all season.

Redshirt sophomore Cason Henry started at right tackle for the opener last year before getting injured and missing most of the season. He’s probably more of a candidate at right tackle, but could play at both spots.

And then there’s sixth-year veteran Jakai Moore, who played mostly guard last season, but started a game at left tackle.

CORNERBACK

This is perhaps the truest position battle across South Carolina’s roster.

The Gamecocks have made it pretty clear that O’Donnell Fortune will start at one of the corner spots. Which leaves four guys to battle it out to start alongside him.

The candidates: Vicari Swain, Emory Floyd and Judge Collier, along with true freshman Jalewis Solomon, who didn’t arrive in Columbia until this summer.

“Who’s going to be the most consistent (will) solidify who plays the most,” defensive backs coach Torrian Gray said. “I would love to be able to play with a rotation a little bit, because all of those guys are talented.”

Who garners the first-team reps at corner this weekend might not be the person who is in that spot next week. And that person might not be the starter in August. The position is a crap shoot and if no clear starter emerges, Gray will just have to play the person he trusts the most.

WIDE RECEIVER

Let’s put it this way: No one knows who will catch passes for the Gamecocks this season.

If you asked 10 people, they might give you 10 different starting wide receiver combinations. The position, for better or worse, is wide open.

Sometimes, that can be the greatest blessing in the world. No expectations. No stars. No trouble. But South Carolina needs to replace Xavier Legette. The Gamecocks need to prove that losing Juice Wells to Ole Miss wasn’t a big deal. And, well, South Carolina doesn’t have a single receiver who has excelled against SEC competition.

Redshirt freshman Nyck Harbor is a track star, but he only caught 12 passes last season and struggled mightily at times. And redshirt senior Luke Doty is again playing receiver but had just over 100 yards receiving last season.

South Carolina will have to rely on its newcomers. There are the five wide receiver transfers: Jared Brown (Coastal Carolina), Dalevon Campbell (Nevada), Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (Louisville), Vandrevius Jacobs (Florida State) and Gage Larvadain (Miami of Ohio).

Then there are the two freshmen: Four-star Mazeo Bennett and three-star Debron Gatling.

The two who have drawn the most preseason praise are Bennett and Larvadain, both smaller receivers with blazing speed and superb route-running ability.

EDGE

This is the same and the opposite of the wide receiver room. There is almost too much talent, to the point that you feel bad for defensive ends coach Sterling Lucas and defensive coordinator Clayton White.

There is Georgia Tech transfer Kyle Kennard, who had a half-dozen sacks last year. There’s Florida State transfer Gilber Edmond, who returns to USC after a year in Tallahassee. There’s Bryan Thomas Jr., the junior who has bulked up to nearly 250 pounds. There’s Bam Martin-Scott, who mainly plays linebacker but started to shine last season coming off the edge in the 3-3-5 defense.

And then there is the wunderkind Dylan Stewart. A few months after arriving on campus, the five-star freshman looks like he just came out of Captain America’s chamber. He is 6-6, 250 pounds and was already creating havoc for the Gamecocks’ offense in the spring.

The question is not whether he plays, but how much.

There will certainly be a rotation between the edge guys, but if Stewart plays at even half of his potential it’s going to be tough for coaches to look out over the grass on any play and yank him out of the game.