The arrival of head coach Will Muschamp signaled a change in momentum for the Gamecocks.
“He will give us an opportunity to be at the top of the conference and get us in the national conversation,” said athletic director Ray Tanner at Muschamp’s hiring press conference in December.
Recruiting
This transformation is most evident in recruiting. Muschamp traveled to visit recruits on his first day as head coach, and within two weeks he had secured four-star junior college cornerback Jamarcus King.
ESPN ranked Muchamp’s 2016 recruiting class 27th in the nation. The new coach brought in a number of four-stars, including top defensive linemen Stephon Taylor and Keir Thomas.
Muschamp’s most recent recruiting success came with the signing of star cornerback Jamyest Williams. The Loganville, Georgia, native ranks 37th in ESPN’s top 300 recruits for the class of 2017. Williams joined six other four-stars for the upcoming cycle, with the class projected by ESPN to be 17th in the nation.
A $50 million football operations building, set to begin construction in January, could continue this trend.
Staff
Changes in the coaching staff have also inserted new energy into the program. Muschamp replaced all but one of Spurrier’s coaches, leaving offensive line coach and interim head coach Shawn Elliott. A number of these new hires worked with Muschamp during his stints at Auburn or Florida.
Notable additions to the staff include defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson and special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler. Robinson, who coached for Muschamp for five years at both Florida and Auburn, has consistently coached highly regarded secondaries. He has also gained a reputation as a strong recruiter. Hutzler most recently coached at Boston College. During his time as a special teams coordinator at New Mexico, he turned around the Lobos’ net punting and punt-return defense statistics.
Quarterback
Muschamp’s efforts in recruiting and coaching have resulted in potential at the quarterback position, where the Gamecocks struggled last season. 2016’s recruiting class included two four-star quarterbacks, Brandon McIlwain and Jake Bentley. Muschamp also hired Kurt Roper as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Over the course of his nearly 20-year coaching career, Roper has made a name for himself as a quarterbacks coach. He is best known for coaching Eli Manning and Andre Woodson. However, Roper made his biggest impact at Duke, where two of the quarterbacks he coached broke school records.
Team Mentality
Much of this change could be attributed to Muschamp’s work ethic, which he hopes to instill in his players.
“We want to be a blue-collar, over-achieving outfit. That’s what we want to be known for,” said Muschamp at his hiring press conference in December.
This enthusiasm often manifests itself creatively in games and practices, which has earned Muschamp the nickname “Coach Boom” over the course of his career.
“I see it at practice. Even if you mess up he will get on you. If you do something good he will still push you to get better,” said wide receiver Deebo Samuel at the SEC Media Days in July.