Expectations vs. reality: What South Carolina’s offense got from each position in 2023

South Carolina’s football team entered 2023 in a bit of an uncertain state.

The Gamecocks had seen some wild highs and lows the season prior. The offense lost four of its top five playmakers. The defense lost seven key starting-quality rotation players.

In short, it was a team that was going to need a few things to break right to get to .500 and another bowl — and more than a few things to break right to chase a big season.

Instead, they caught a range of bad outcomes, missed a few chances and finished without a bowl trip for the first time in Shane Beamer’s tenure.

Some of those things were external, like Missouri going from a usually 6-6 level team to 10-2 and well ahead of the Gamecocks. But most of these things happened to the roster, the kinds of things where talent needs to deliver and step up.

What South Carolina expected from its offense in 2023 — and what it got:

Quarterback

What was expected/hoped for: After Spencer Rattler came on late in 2022, there were hopes that would carry over and he could be a high-end SEC passer.

What happened: He basically delivered on that, going close to super nova. He still had some of the chaos plays, but he also ran a new offense via coordinator Dowell Loggains extremely well and worked around issues with receiver injuries and offensive line problems.

Running back

What was expected/hoped for: After transfers took out both of last year’s starters, there was hope someone could emerge from a group of two veterans in JuJu McDowell and Dakereon Joyner (in his first year at the position), plus transfer Mario Anderson and freshman DJay Braswell.

What happened: McDowell and Joyner both struggled as top-two runners and were both injured late in the year. Anderson eventually worked his way in and became a very nice surprise (707 yards). Braswell got a little work late in the year but didn’t truly pop

Wide receiver

What was expected/hoped for: With an exodus of pieces, the expectation was that Antwane “Juice” Wells would continue to star, with Ahmarean Brown and Xavier Legette stepping up to fill out the lineup. After that, a bunch of players had potential, and the question was: Could someone else step up?

What happened: Legette delivered one of the best seasons in program history. Wells was hurt and basically lost for the whole year. Brown was a nice piece when he played, but he was often nicked up. O’Mega Blake became a guy who could mostly be trusted but wasn’t that productive. Transfer Eddie Lewis never seemed to be able to work his way off the bench. Five-star freshman Nyck Harbor delivered relatively well considering how raw he was, at least earning a good bit time in the season’s second half.

Tight end

What was expected/hoped for: After two key players transferred, one graduated and another had a medical issue, the weight of the position fell on Arkansas transfer Trey Knox, Western Kentucky transfer Joshua Simon and a few other new faces.

What happened: Knox was a decently productive receiver but not necessarily a high-end explosive guy. He also had blocking issues at points during the season. Simon stepped in rather nicely in a more limited role and added something in terms of physicality and some quirky plays. Overall, the position felt like an issue for much of the season, but it seemed to settle near the end.

Offensive line

What was expected/hoped for: South Carolina was hoping for some measure of progress. They lost two veteran interior linemen, as well as a starting left tackle to injury in the spring. The hope was that a transfer and several position changes could shore up the middle and that someone from a group of veterans, younger guys and transfers could step up and be serviceable at tackle.

What happened: Overall, this group didn’t make much progress. Much of the season was a mess at tackle until true freshman Tree Babalade settled in on the left side (and even he was hurt). Right tackle was a problem until Vershon Lee, the top center to start the season, slid outside. That meant more shuffling inside, especially as multiple guards either got hurt or couldn’t hold the job.