What To Know…

The Gamecocks will be looking to replace their all-time leading scorer in the departure of Elliott Fry.

Fry was excellent throughout his career. He went 161-162 on XP attempts while making 66-88 FGs (75%). He made a number of big kicks in the garnet & black, including a 55 yard game winner at Vanderbilt in 2016. Including Elliott, the Gamecocks also lose their punter Sean Kelly, who averaged 42.5 yards per punt, and their long snapper in Drew Williams.

Deebo Samuel and A.J. Turner were the main leaders on kickoff return last fall and did a solid job. Samuel had a kickoff return for a TD against Western Carolina last fall, the Gamecocks first since Rashad Fenton did the same against LSU in 2015. Turner’s most notable return came against East Carolina, in which he returned the opening kickoff 80 yards. Turner showed flashes of explosiveness last fall, which should factor in him being a lead candidate for KOR duties this fall. However, South Carolina struggled returning punts, as they amassed just a 6.4 yard team avg on punt returns.

Depth Chart…

Why They’ll Be Better…

Young speed. While I find it hard to imagine the kicking game being much better, the return game is a different story. As before mentioned, the Gamecocks struggled last fall to get anything going in the punt return game. They averaged just 6.4 yards per return as a team and looked at times to be more focused on just catching the ball than making a solid return. A duo of young speedsters in DB Jamyest Williams and WR Shi Smith should have a say so on who returns punts before all is said and done. Williams showed explosiveness in high school with the ball in hands. Meanwhile, Smith has caught rave reviews in pre-season camp about his quickness and agility. While the Gamecocks will most likely lean on veteran DB Chris Lammons to start the season, look for Williams and Smith to get every opportunity to take the job.

Why They’ll Be Worse…

Big shoes to fill. It’s never easy to replace a legend. As a four year starter, Elliott Fry solidified himself as one of the best Gamecock kickers to wear the garnet & black. Will Muschamp has stated in fall camp that RS Fr. Alexander Woznick has the ability and the leg to be a solid kicker for the Gamecocks. Saying that and doing that in front of 85,000 people are two completely different things, however. Freshman Parker White has impressed the coaching staff this fall, which has led to some competition at the kicker position. Look for the battle to extend into the season and the Gamecocks to go with the most consistent option. With so many unknowns, it’s hard to feel good about South Carolina’s options right now.

Prediction For 2017…

Hold on to your seats. The Gamecocks enter the fall with tons of unknowns. Woznick will need to show consistency as South Carolina should be in a lot of close games early on. If he struggles, it could be a revolving door at kicker between him and Parker White. The youngsters Jamyest Williams and Shi Smith should provide electricity in the return game. While I expect the Gamecocks to lean on veterans early in the year, don’t be surprised to see a punt return go the distance this fall as both freshman have breakaway speed and big play ability. Both punt return and kickoff return should benefit from the boost in speed and South Carolina should make a big improvement in the return game. Whether good or bad, there should be tons of fireworks on the Gamecocks special teams unit in 2017.

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