South Carolina Football: 2017 season preview and prediction

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COLUMBIA, SC – OCTOBER 17: Teammates Dante Sawyer #95, Bryson Allen-Williams #4 and Skai Moore #10 of the South Carolina Gamecocks react after a defensive stop during their game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 17, 2015 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Defense

Just like the offense, last year was a re-tooling year for the Gamecock defense. In Travaris Robinson’s first year at the helm, the Gamecock defense was quite flimsy. They gave up over 26 points per game and over 400 yards per game. But if you look back at those games, the defense played too many snaps and were put in bad situation after bad situation.

There was one player from last year Gamecock fans should be happy about, Bryson Allen-Williams. No matter if close game or a game far out of reach, Williams always flying around the field making a play. His motor is relentless and something that is not coachable.

The return of Skai Moore

The Gamecock defense lost the heart of their defense before it even took the field in 2016. Skai Moore went down with an injured back in the offseason and the defense was not the same. Moore, before the injury, was a first or second-round pick easily. He was the leading tackler for the Gamecocks his first three years.

In 2015, his 111 tackles made him the first Gamecock since Jasper Brinkley to record 100-plus tackles in a season. In 2016, D.J. Smith was the leading tackler with 80.

If he can come back and play at his 2015 level, he and Bryson Allen-Williams can make a nasty duo of linebackers in Columbia, S.C.