Anderson back at tight end after injury
There’s talent across the board when you look at South Carolina’s wide receiver and tight end positions.
The receiving core is an underappreciated bunch, but many familiar faces return, missing only Bruce Ellington, who now plays for the San Francisco 49ers.
Junior Shaq Roland steps into the No. 1 receiver role on the outside, while sophomore Pharoh Cooper enters Ellington’s former spot as slot receiver. The third starting receiver listed is redshirt senior Nick Jones. Senior Damiere Byrd will also see a lot of action as one of the Gamecocks’ biggest deep threats.
Wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. said redshirt juniors Shamier Jeffery and K.J. Brent are stationed as fifth and sixth receivers, and redshirt juniors Carlton Heard and Kane Whitehurst will be ready to play behind them if needed.
It may be most intriguing to see how Cooper does this season, as he moves into more of a full-time role as wide receiver after seeing a lot of snaps at Wildcat quarterback last year, which fans may see again during this campaign.
Jones and Byrd have proven to be reliable targets for quarterback Dylan Thompson.
Jones has been overlooked by the media and fans, but said he’s used to it while continuing to show his worth to doubters. He provided a spark, especially at the beginning of last season against North Carolina and Georgia, and finished the year with five touchdowns.
Byrd is anxious to get on the field he missed last season’s bowl game against Wisconsin due to a knee injury He recently told reporters he is now at 100 percent, adding that he believes the receiving core is often underrated but solid, and can make plays at any time of the game.
“We’re coming into the season confident,” Byrd said. “We feel like we are a big play receiving core. We have a lot of experience over the years. We know what we’re doing and what to look for.”
Roland didn’t receive any love from the coaches or media regarding preseason All-SEC awards, but it didn’t bother him.
In fact, when asked if he was primed for a big season, he deflected attention to the team, saying the Gamecocks would have a great year.
His comments demonstrated how much Roland has matured after he was suspended three games last season for violating the athletic department’s rules. South Carolina’s offense will look for him to build dramatically on his 455 yards and five touchdowns from last year.
His best game may have been against Wisconsin where he recorded 112 yards on six receptions.
The bowl game let Roland see how good he could be, especially if he keeps his concentration throughout each game and the rest of the season.
“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” Roland said. “It just showed that if I’m focused the whole time mentally, I could play at a high level with anybody in the country. “
As for the tight ends, the Gamecocks were surprised that senior Rory “Busta” Anderson recovered so quickly from a triceps tear sustained in spring ball.
At the time, it looked like he could miss the whole season, but he’s recovered in time for the first game.
Even if Anderson went down, the coaching staff has confidence in junior Jerell Adams to get the job done. Adams and Anderson together could make a powerful combination at tight end.
“We’ve got to get a lot more balls going to [Adams],” said head coach Steve Spurrier. “He’s a talent who is faster than he’s ever been.”
Senior and former offensive lineman Cody Gibson will also see the field at tight end; he’ll be used primarily as a blocker in packages with two tight ends.
Overall, the receiving core will have to adjust to Thompson who is more of a passing quarterback. They’ll look to break off routes and get open when Thompson scrambles, rather than help block downfield, like they did more often with former quarterback Connor Shaw.
Jones noted one more difference between Thompson and Shaw, which could be a deciding factor in successful Gamecock offense this season.
“Dylan tends to look at his second and third options more than Connor really did,” Jones said. “So we have to make sure we’re running our routes hard every play.”