Let Will Muschamp tell you himself — the Gamecocks don't have much depth at linebacker.
What they do have, however, are two senior leaders in Skai Moore and Bryson-Allen Williams, joined by a talented sophomore in T.J. Brunson. But as far as experience?
That's it.
"None," Muschamp said Sunday. "There's zero experience."
Behind Moore, Allen-Williams and Brunson, no Gamecock linebacker has taken a single snap at USC. As Muschamp points out, the Gamecocks can't afford an injury at the position, but if the starters stay healthy, there's plenty of potential.
It starts with the return of Moore, the team's leading tackler in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and clearly the best defensive player on the team in his sophomore and junior seasons. After missing all of last year with a neck injury, Moore is back to full strength.
He went 15 months with no contact before taking his first hit in March, and it wasn't the easiest of returns. Moore went full speed with 330-pound guard D.J. Park for his reintroduction to contact, but it went off without a hitch.
There's no doubting what Moore can do when he's on the field, but the Gamecocks' main goal will be to keep him there. Off the field, however, Moore is one of the team's biggest leaders, along with Allen-Williams.
"[Moore and Allen-Williams are] two guys who are very well-respected in the locker room, Muschamp said Sunday. "And that means a lot. They're two very experienced players, but they're two very productive players as well. And in order to be a leader, you've got to be a productive guy."
Allen-Williams was certainly a productive guy in 2016, filling in during Moore's injury and finishing second on the team with 75 tackles while earning the special teams' Tenacity Award, which is voted on by the players.
Moore and Allen-Williams have done a lot to earn the respect of their teammates, including Brunson, who will be the third man in the middle this season.
"It makes me step up," Brunson said of the two seniors. "Regardless of my age, I'm expected to be able to play with those guys and understand what's going on. It just helps me bring the mental and physical edge to practice every day."
Brunson played in 11 games as a freshman in 2016, seeing limited action on both defense and special teams. Despite registering only 12 tackles, he's earned the praise and respect of his teammates.
"He's a strong player, very fast," Allen-Williams said of Brunson. "He has great size, great instincts and he gets the ball. I think he's going to have a great year."
Muschamp, known for his defensive coaching prowess, has been impressed with Brunson as well.
"He has a lot of the intangibles you look for at the position," Muschamp said. "He's a really good communicator. It's really important to T.J. to play well, and he's a real self-conscious guy as far as that sort of stuff is concerned.
"He has the physicality and all the physical attributes you're looking for. He can run extremely well and strike and hit, and he's extremely bright. I think he has all of that except for much of the experience he's going to need to gain, and that's why you have training camp."