South Carolina Football: Can Gamecocks overcome brutal schedule in 2019?

Gamecock offense has lofty potential

Quarterback Jake Bentley enters his senior season having amassed nearly 7,400 passing yards and thrown for 54 touchdowns in his career as a Gamecock. He has also been mistake prone, throwing 30 interceptions.

Cutting down mistakes will be crucial for the Gamecocks this fall. There is no doubt of Bentley’s talent, but having started since a true freshman has led to high expectations from the fans. Those expectations Bentley has not lived up to so far. If he can string together more games like he had against Clemson last season, over 500 yards and five touchdowns, then the offense has potential to be very good.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is off to the NFL so the Gamecocks will need to find another playmaker. Senior Bryan Edwards is ready to fill the void and he has the caliber of a No. 1 target. Junior Shi Smith and sophomore OrTre Smith will also get plenty of reps.

The running back room appeared to be moving towards a committee approach, with seniors Rico Dowdle, Mon Denson and AJ Turner all sharing the workload. However, with the recent graduate transfer of former Clemson running back Tavien Feaster, the backfield now may have received a shot in the arm. Feaster will still need to compete in camp, but he’s bringing along the experience of two national titles, 1,330 yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons at Clemson. He may just win the job.