Dowell Loggains' Chance to Imprint His Own Vision for South Carolina
It's never easy to replace and reestablish an essential part of the coaching staff, especially when that piece is a coordinator. Though there was some expectation and want for Marcus Satterfield to move on to a different team, it's undeniable that his absence left a difficult hole to fix. Former NFL Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains eventually filled the void, leaving many optimistic for the future.
Despite the optimism surrounding the hiring, there were still some obvious roadblocks that were/are going to make the adjustment to Loggains difficult. However, a tumultuous offseason has lifted one of the critical barricades in Loggains' way, which makes things easier for the coordinator.
The most difficult thing about being an offensive coordinator readjusting to a new team is dealing with the team's previously established identity. Whether you want to dismantle it or fit your game plan within the format played out years before, a decision still needs to be made. Fortunately for Loggains, he will bypass much of the strife dealing with the identity.
With numerous departures and arrivals of players this off-season, there seems to be a lack of identity for the Gamecocks. While that may sound bad, it is the reality for most programs in the NIL era of college football. Losing 10+ guys every year to the transfer portal and receiving that many in return feel inevitable for every program moving forward, making the offseason more important.
Establishing an identity and chemistry is something South Carolina will have to do once again this offseason. That comes out as a positive for Loggains, as he can now execute what he envisions for the team from scratch instead of tearing apart something pre-determined and rebuilding it.
The only real continuity that the Gamecocks will have offensively heading into the 2023 season is Spencer Rattler and the receiver room, which aren't even that concrete. Rattler, who transferred from Oklahoma before the 2022 season, has been with South Carolina for the 2022 season and only really found his footing with the Gamecocks during the last four or five games. Antwane Wells, the Gamecocks expected WR1 for 2023, has a similar story to Rattler.
Transferring to South Carolina just before the 2022 season, Wells has only been in Columbia for a single season and found his groove around the same time Rattler did. Receivers Xavier Legette, Dakereon Joyner, and Ahmarean Brown will return for the 2023 season. Still, the additions of Joshua Simon and Eddie Lewis, who should be impact players for the Gamecocks, crowd the room and give Loggains more pieces to play with.
Though the WR position will look similar in 2023 for the Gamecocks, the TE and RB positions will look completely different. The tight end position was effectively cleared out this offseason, meaning transfers Trey Knox and Nick Elksnis will be burdened with the tight end position for the Gamecocks. It's a similar story at the running back position, with transfer Mario Anderson Jr. and Juju McDowell expected to comprise the running back committee for South Carolina.
With the offense looking so drastically different compared to the 2022 season, it's hard to see any continued vision working for the Gamecocks. With that being said, Loggains has a chance to implant the offense he wants without disrupting an already set identity.
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