Season Predictions

The Gamecocks will have three players on the Freshman All-American team. 

Relying on freshmen usually isn’t a good thing. Then again, it also means those freshmen are pretty dang good and the coaches did a great job recruiting. Top players to watch: LaNorris Sellers (yes, redshirt freshmen count!), Mazeo Bennett, Josiah Thompson, Dylan Stewart, Jalewis Solomon. My best bets are on Sellers, Thompson and Stewart.

The Gamecocks will finish in the top six in rushing offense in the SEC. 

The running game centered around LaNorris Sellers and Rocket Sanders will be the cornerstone of the Gamecocks 2024 offensive identity. Finishing in the top six in rushing in the SEC would be the biggest area of improvement from 2023 and be the Program’s best since 2013 when the two leading rushers were Mike Davis and Connor Shaw.

The Gamecocks will knock off a top ten opponent.

Based on scheduling, it’s looking like the Gamecocks will play at least two and as many as six chances to knock off a top-ten opponent. It doesn’t necessarily matter who the opponent is as a top-ten win would be a big signal upward for the South Carolina Program. The Gamecocks did this twice in 2022 and I know Coach Beamer is looking for another one of these marquee wins.

The Gamecocks defense will finish in the top six in takeaways in the SEC.

This is an opportunistic stat for sure but when I look at the makeup of the defense in terms of talent, playing style, and scheme, I see the “takeaways” stat being among the top key stats for defensive coordinator Clayton White. I personally think the defense may rely on takeaways in games against high-powered offenses.

The Gamecocks will have four players with over 300 yards receiving.

This indicates an all-new receiving corps fighting for playing time and targets with a new quarterback at the helm. It also indicates a talented group of receivers making the most of their targets (aka fewer dropped passes and miscommunication) The last time the Gamecocks matched this stat was in 2017 with Bryan Edwards, Hayden Hurst, Shi Smith and OrTre Smith.

The Gamecocks will finish with a winning record at home.

I’m predicting 4-5 home wins for South Carolina in 2024, which will not be an easy feat as those seven games include four top-20 opponents. However, with three “cupcake” games, this will mean that the Gamecocks only need to go 1-3 or better against ranked opponents at home in order to reach this number. Winning at home is always one of the top team goals going into the season and I know the fans will have Williams-Brice Stadium rocking in key games to help provide an edge.

 

Read About Gamecocks & the Author, Matt O'Brien HERE