3 lingering South Carolina questions heading into this week’s SEC Media Days

The unofficial kickoff to the 2022 college football season is here.

SEC Media Days began Monday with LSU’s Brian Kelly, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz opening the coaches’ portion of the week’s festivities along with the respective players they’ve brought to the College Football Hall of Fame.

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer and his cohort of receiver Dakereon Joyner, guard Jovaughn Gwyn and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens speak on Tuesday, and they’ll have plenty to discuss.

Here’s a look at a few of the lingering Gamecock-centric questions that could be answered this week:

Who will be USC’s backup quarterback in 2022?

Oklahoma import Spencer Rattler hasn’t officially been named USC’s starting quarterback, but a different result would be a complete shock.

Behind him? That’s a different question.

The Gamecocks’ quarterback room was a mess in 2021 as four different players — Luke Doty, Zeb Noland, Jason Brown and Joyner — each started a game. That’s unlikely to be the case again this fall, but who backs up Rattler remains to be seen.

Doty is the presumed frontrunner for the No. 2 gig after he entered last season as the announced starter before a preseason foot injury eventually sidelined him for the most of the year.

Second-year signal caller Colten Gauthier and the freshmen tandem of Braden Davis and Tanner Bailey should also be in the mix.

Gauthier is rocket-armed and looks the part at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, but needed time to develop after playing private school ball in Georgia before arriving at South Carolina. A year in the building has done him well and he could push for the gig.

Bailey is perhaps the best suited of the freshmen to make a run at the backup job. South Carolina’s staff is incredibly high on the Alabama native who backed off his initial pledge to Oregon when offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead left the Ducks to become the head coach at Akron.

The ex-four-star recruit is über talented but didn’t get into Columbia until the summer. That’s a lot to ask of a freshman quarterback adjusting to college life and a more advanced playbook. However, Bailey has all the tools to really push Doty. He’s that kind of good.

What’s up with South Carolina’s offensive line?

South Carolina’s offensive line has been discussed ad nauseam this offseason, but can you blame anyone?

The Gamecocks’ quintet of blockers last fall operated more like a matador sidestepping an oncoming bull than a Mack truck capable of plowing a path for South Carolina’s runners or working to keep its smorgasbord of quarterbacks upright.

Pro Football Focus ranked USC at or near the bottom in most every blocking category last year. That can’t happen again.

South Carolina is in good shape at its offensive skill positions with Rattler in the fold along with a bevy of transfers that include tight end Austin Stogner (Oklahoma), running back Christian Beal-Smith and receivers Antwane “Juice” Wells (James Madison) and Corey Rucker Jr. (Arkansas State). The Gamecocks are going to need protection, though, if they’re going to take advantage of those upgrades.

One would think Gwyn will get asked plenty about the line’s progress.

What can be expected from the Gamecocks’ defensive line?

South Carolina’s defense is loaded in 2022.

Cornerback Cam Smith could be a first round pick when next year’s NFL Draft rolls around. The same can be said for Pickens, who was a five-star recruit out of T.L. Hanna High in the 2019 class.

The Gamecocks need to replace both of their defensive ends, leaving a few question marks about defensive coordinator Clayton White’s unit heading into fall camp.

Jordan Strachan and Jordan Burch are the anticipated starters at either end spot. N.C. State import Terrell Dawkins should also see plenty of action, though he’s got some positional flexibility and it’s not altogether clear where he’ll stick.

Strachan came to South Carolina a season ago from Georgia State having finished tied for the national lead in sacks during the 2020 regular season. Burch, meanwhile, was a five-star recruit in the 2019 recruiting class and has yet match his prospect ranking.

The Gamecocks need the “Jordans” to be major factors in 2022. Expect Pickens to shed some light on where that group stands this week.

Schedule: When does Shane Beamer talk at SEC Media Days?

South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer speaks from 1 to 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. Want to watch Beamer on TV? He is in the main media room from 2:25 to 2:55 p.m. for the portion that typically airs live on SEC Network.