Three Offensive Players To Watch
Bowl season is inching its way toward the long-awaited New Year's Six matchups but first will make a stop in Jacksonville, Florida, for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Head coach Shane Beamer is now one win away from 16 victories in just his first two years with South Carolina and is looking for the finishing touches on an impressive second season.
Unfortunately for South Carolina, they also dealt with some losses. Running back MarShawn Lloyd, tight end Austin Stogner, and tight end Jaheim Bell entered the transfer portal. Additionally, corner Cam Smith, corner Darius Rush, and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens opted for the NFL ranks.
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield also left the program to join Nebraska. Like most college teams, they must make the best of what they have for their bowl to cement their legacy as the closers of the 2022 season. Here are a few Gamecocks who will need to shine this Friday:
Spencer Rattler, QB
Rattler saved face in the final stretch of his regular season, taking down Tennessee and Clemson in consecutive weeks. He threw for nearly 400 yards in these two games, with eight touchdowns and only two interceptions. He has been deadly as of late, allowing Carolina fans the chance to trust, at least for now, that he can win big football games.
While Rattler has been consistently inconsistent, he is trending upward and must continue to improve in time for the Gator Bowl. If he comes out swinging and the offense gets hot as they have been, the Gamecocks will have a field day in the end zone.
Antwane Wells Jr, WR
Wells is positioned to shred the Notre Dame defense on Friday. Coming into the Gator Bowl with nearly 900 yards receiving, 6 TDs in the air, and one on the ground, he will be Spencer Rattler's high-priority target. Wells played his best ball in the games against Clemson, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, three of the four final contests of the season. He put up 418 yards from 24 catches with four touchdowns.
It is safe to say that Notre Dame will key on #3, as he deserves a ton of credit for the Gamecocks' upswing in November, helping them win nine games for the first time since Will Muschamp scraped together a 9-4 season in 2017.
Nate Adkins, TE
South Carolina has one scholarship tight end on the roster in Adkins. While he is known for his blocking prowess, Adkins flashed the ability to make contested catches against Clemson.
He will be playing in his final collegiate game and has the opportunity to make a splash. Adkins has been a consummate professional with South Carolina, staying the course even when his father left the program with a minor health issue.
The Gamecocks need him to play his best football on Friday. They often run two tight end sets tight to the formation in base concepts; while they don't have two legitimate ones, they need at least one to be at his best.
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