South Carolina depth chart: Who’s backing up Spencer Rattler? What happens at RB?

The college football offseason is officially here.

With last month’s spring game and the closure of the second transfer portal window on April 30, things should start to slow down around the South Carolina program.

That makes this a great time to look at what the Gamecocks are bringing into the summer and ahead of preseason camp in August.

Here’s a look at the offensive depth chart exiting the spring:

Quarterback

▪ Starter: Spencer Rattler

▪ Backups: LaNorris Sellers, Luke Doty, Tanner Bailey

There shouldn’t be any surprises at the top of this room. South Carolina will go as Spencer Rattler goes in 2023. Simple as that.

Rattler was lights out in the throttling of No. 5 Tennessee and looked the part in the regular season-ending victory at No. 5 Clemson. Now comes building on that consistency with new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and top target Antwane “Juice” Wells.

Where things get interesting at quarterback is with who ends up being the No. 2 guy.

Luke Doty should, for all intents and purposes, be penciled in there for now, but that may not last. Freshman LaNorris Sellers has drawn rave reviews since he arrived on campus in January and there’s a belief he could pass up Doty by season’s end to become the leader in the clubhouse for the starting job in 2024.

Bailey, too, should have something to say about this. The former four-star recruit was a late addition in South Carolina’s 2022 class and traveled with the team as the No. 3 signal-caller down the stretch last year. He had some nice moments in the spring game and is a real talent.

Running back

▪ Starter: Juju McDowell/Mario Anderson

▪ Backups: Dakereon Joyner, Dontavius Braswell

Running back feels like it might be a problem for this South Carolina offense in 2023. The Gamecocks lost leading rusher MarShawn Lloyd to the transfer portal in December, while do-it-all tight end Jaheim Bell also departed.

That leaves Juju McDowell and Newberry College transfer Mario Anderson as the likely candidates to shoulder the load, though this should more likely be a by-committee approach. Receiver Dakereon Joyner also took snaps at tailback during the spring and there’s some buzz he could be more than just a gadget-ish option there.

It’s possible that South Carolina’s starting running back isn’t on the roster yet. USC hosted Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs over the weekend, though the feeling is the Louisiana product is likely to rejoin Brian Kelly at LSU. South Carolina is also kicking the tires on N.C. State tailback Demie Sumo-Karngbaye.

Wide receiver

▪ Starters: Antwane “Juice” Wells, Xavier Legette, Eddie Lewis

▪ Backups: Dakereon Joyner, Ahmarean Brown, O’Mega Blake, Landon Samson

Antwane Wells is going to be option No. 1, 2 and 3 in this year’s offense. The one-time James Madison star was a revelation for the Gamecocks in 2022 and finished second in the Southeastern Conference in yards receiving behind only Biletnikoff winner Jalin Hyatt. Don’t be surprised if Wells packs another impressive punch this fall.

Xavier Legette and Memphis transfer Eddie Lewis both make intriguing pieces for this year’s receiving corps. Legette has been more potential than actual results in his time at South Carolina, but he came on strong in the Gator Bowl loss to Notre Dame — including a wild toe-tap touchdown grab. He needs to be able to take some pressure off of Wells.

Eddie Lewis was a nice get for South Carolina out of the transfer portal and there’s a hope he can be a 400- to 600-yard type guy this fall. He brings a similar skillset to what Josh Vann did the past two years given their similar sizes (Lewis is 6-foot, 185, Vann was listed at 5-foot-11, 190) and speeds. Lewis had some nice moments in the spring game, though Rattler overthrew him a couple times. He could be a field-stretcher this fall.

Other names to know here include Ahamarean Brown and Joyner, both of whom have had flashes but never really put it all together over the course of a full season. Youngsters O’Mega Blake and Landon Samson got some run in the bowl game and should have chances this year. Freshmen Elijah Caldwell, C.J. Adams and Kelton Henderson should also have a chance to flash.

Tight end

▪ Starter: Trey Knox

▪ Backups: Joshua Simon, Nick Elksnis, Connor Cox, Reid Mikeska

Trey Knox probably has the most breakout potential of any player on the offense this year. The former Arkansas standout had his moments in Fayetteville, but he’ll get a chance to be a focal point this year at South Carolina.

Knox shined in the spring game, hauling in a trio of passes and a sort touchdown reception. He has the makings of a matchup nightmare for opposing linebackers and should quickly become a favorite target for Rattler.

While Knox should be the No. 1 guy here, Joshua Simon is dripping with potential. The Dalzell product set a Western Kentucky record for a tight end with 16 receiving touchdowns and finished his career with the Hilltoppers catching 86 passes for 1,146 yards over four years. Expect Simon and Knox to get plenty of time on the field together.

Elksnis projects similarly to what Nate Adkins did on the 2022 team, where he has some versatility as a blocker and as a potential fullback. He should get plenty of chances in short-yardage packages and on special teams.

Offensive line

▪ Starters: Jakai Moore, Vershon Lee, Trai Jones, Tyshawn Wannamaker, Sidney Fugar

▪ Backups: Cason Henry, Grayson Mains, Markee Anderson

South Carolina’s offensive line took a massive hit when starting left tackle Jaylen Nichols went down with a “pretty significant injury” during the spring game that’s expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future, head coach Shane Beamer revealed.

With Nichols unlikely to contribute any time soon, that creates a bit of a shakeup in what the Gamecocks can do on the line.

Vershon Lee and Trai Jones should still be penciled in at center and guard, respectively, and Tyshawn Wannamaker is likely to fill the other guard spot. Jakai Moore had been playing right tackle, but he could shift to the left side in the wake of Nichols’ injury. That would leave some combination of Western Illinois transfer Sidney Fugar and/or third-year tackle Cason Henry to fill that slot.

Yale transfer Nick Gargiulo is another name that should be in the mix on the interior of the line this year. Gargiulo has been battling for the starting center job, but could kick out to guard depending on what the Gamecocks do with Lee, Jones and Wannamaker.

The staff has also been high on freshman Markee Anderson. It’s generally a stretch to expect a first-year offensive lineman to make an impact, but Anderson may get some run at some point this year.