SB Nation - Emanuel Cook

USC Underclassmen with NFL Prospects: Will Anyone Leave Early?

Gamecock Man — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:40 -0000

Last year, our team was decimated by early entrees to the NFL draft, losing three key players: Jared Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Emanuel Cook. This year, there's not much talk about the possibility of us taking a big hit due to early entrees. Should we be worried, or are we right to be confident? From where I'm standing, there are four players who could consider leaving early. In order of their status as prospects, those are Weslye Saunders, Chris Culliver, Cliff Matthews, and Clifton Geathers. Let's take a closer look.

Weslye Saunders

Saunders would almost certainly be drafted were he to declare. He is a prototypical NFL tight end: he's huge, is a good blocker, has nearly infallible hands, and is fast for his size. Most league still rely on sets that feature TEs, so Saunders wouldn't have to worry about finding a home for his skills.

The question is where he would go. He would have to compete with a number of highly touted ends, such as Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham and Arizona's Rob Gronkowski. At the very least, I think he would fall behind these two prospects and perhaps slightly further. That would probably mean third round or lower.

If Saunders stays, on the other hand, he could be a first round pick. Most projections I've seen call him the top TE prospect of the 2010 senior class. The difference, of course, between first and third round money is enough to give prospects some incentive to stay another year; a player can easily make up whatever he loses with another year in college by signing a first-round contract that will pay him a few times more than he would receive with a third-round contract.

The coaching staff believes that Saunders is the player most likely to declare. However, Saunders vows to return. Although one couldn't blame him too much for leaving, Saunders would be wise to follow his instincts and come back. Like Sidney Rice and Jared Cook before him, he'd probably be a first-day pick if he declares. However, as would have probably been the case for Sidney and Jared had they returned, if Saunders comes back and has a big year, he could go early first round.

Let's take a look at the other players after the jump.

Chris Culliver

Although he had something of an up and down year, Culliver is still one of the better safeties in the league and made All-SEC second team. Culliver also has the speed and versatility that NFL teams look for in a safety. How would he fare in the draft, though? While Culliver might be taken, my feeling is that he would be making a huge, Emanuel Cook-sized mistake by leaving. At best, Culliver would be a very late-round pick, which would mean the likelihood of trying to gut out a spot on the third team somewhere with no guarantees that he wouldn't eventually just end up on a scout team. That doesn't sound like as much fun as trying to help the Gamecocks win a title, now does it? On the other hand, if Culliver stays, he has a puncher's chance at being a first-day pick and, with a big year, could make it to the first two rounds.

Despite the talk in the air about Culliver declaring, I just don't see it. After seeing what happened to his backfield buddies last year, Culliver has to know that he'd be taking an unwise risk by leaving. I say Culliver stays, works on his tackling mechanics, and comes back poised for big things in 2010.

Cliff Matthews

Big Cliff had another great year in 2009 being a game changer off the end. However, Matthews is smallish for an NFL end, so like Eric Norwood, Matthews faces the challenge of making NFL scouts believe that he has a place in a league that can be quite dogmatic in its understanding of what players at certain positions should look like. With a big year, Matthews could make that case in 2010, but I doubt he would be drafted this year. That combined with Matthews clear dedication to the team makes me think there's little chance of Matthews even considering leaving.

Clifton Geathers

Geathers is something of a wildcard here. He has yet to make a huge name for himself around the country, so many might be surprised to hear his name mentioned in regards to the draft. However, I suspect more NFL scouts know about Geathers than you might think. At 6-7 / 281 and with the speed to blow by blockers, Geathers has the potential to an unblockable sack, pass deflection, and punt blocking machine when he fulfills his potential. Gamecocks fans have seen hints of this ability, particularly late this year, but Geathers has yet to put it all together for an extended period of time. That won't stop agents from getting in his ear, though.

That said, I seriously doubt Geathers would be drafted if he were to declare, and I would imagine he's intelligent enough to know that. Geathers will stay, and if he works hard, you could see him skyrocket to the top of the charts for the 2010 draft.

Update on Culliver Situation

Gamecock Man — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:46:33 -0000

Apparently, Chris Culliver was benched because he refused to move from safety to corner for a couple of weeks. Per Joe Person:

Lorenzo Ward, Culliver’s position coach, told 1400 The Team on Wednesday that Culliver would not accept a move from safety to corner, and responded with a poor attitude. Ward said Culliver’s shoulder injury made him a better fit at corner, where there is less hitting required.

I fully support Coach Spurrier on this one. With Culliver's injury, he would have been a bigger help to us at corner, and, in fact, he could have made a huge contribution there in a game when we need every corner we can get. (BTW, if we see Addison Williams in this game...) Culliver's refusal to switch positions until his shoulder heals is perplexing and selfish. With this team trying to maintain the positive attitude it's exhibited throughout the year, Spurrier wanted to send a clear message to this team: get with the program and put the team first or stay home. Hopefully, his strong statement will motivate the guys that do play to play their butts off and earn playing time. As for Culliver, I hope he gets his head in order and comes back ready to help the team against Florida. If he wants to be Emanuel Cook, then it's his choice, but I'd rather see him make something better of himself. He has the ability.

Post-Spring Previews: Georgia

Gamecock Man — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:34:56 -0000

After traveling to Raleigh, the Gamecocks continue their path along one of the nation's toughest schedules when they go to Athens to take on the 'Dawgs. The Georgia game is always one of the defining moments of our season. Most Gamecocks fans consider Georgia our biggest SEC rival, and a win typically marks the beginning of a good season (2007 aside).

On the whole, Georgia is a team full of question marks. They disappointed last year after coming into the season with sky-high expectations. This year, they have to replace a number of significant players, most notably offensive stars Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohamed Massaquoi. On the other hand, they return significant talent on defense and on the offensive line. Their success will likely depend on whether Joe Cox can be efficient and can at least come to close to matching Stafford's productivity and if their defense can stay healthy and play better than it did in highly publicized meltdowns against LSU, Florida, and Georgia Tech last season. We'll probably know a lot more about Georgia after they open their season at Oklahoma State, a team with an absolutely explosive offense that will probably be preseason top ten.

Let's take a closer look at how we match up against these guys.

Quarterback

Mark Richt plans to start senior Joe Cox, who got significant playing time early in 2006 but since then has been Stafford's backup, only playing in mop-up duty. Cox is a fairly talented player and has spent a lot of time in the system, so the 'Dawgs can reasonably hope that he will be a competent signal caller. However, he lacks Stafford's physical abilities, so his ceiling is probably relatively low. I'd call it a push between Cox and Stephen Garcia; Cox has had longer to grow into his roll and is a more mature player, but he lacks Garcia's natural talent and has less in-game experience than Garcia. Usually, I'd say that means that Garcia has the advantage, but Garcia was hardly impressive in some of his appearances last year. Although he showed promise at times, he has plenty to prove this time around.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs

While Moreno leaves big shoes to fill, Georgia is uncommonly deep at the running back position, with several highly recruited players waiting to become the next Moreno, Garrison Heart, or Herschel Walker. The one most likely to become a household name is Caleb King, a speedy home run threat who rushed for over 200 yards last year as Moreno's primary backup. However, Richard Samuel will also get plenty of touches, and the two backs may form something of a Thunder and Lightening duo. I'd say UGA has a slight advantage over us here; while I like our stable of backs and expect us to field a much improved running game in the fall, both King and Samuel could start at any school in the nation. These guys are monsters and, while we might get the 'Dawgs during a transition period while UGA tries to figure out how best to divvy the caries, I doubt UGA will miss a beat without Moreno this year.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Offensive Line

UGA returns a seasoned, talented offensive line led by tackles Quintin Sturdivant and Clint Boling. Sturdivant's preseason injury last year caused this unit to underperform last year, but if Sturdivant is able to return close to full strength, this should be a very good unit. I would give them a slight advantage over our line. While I expect much-improved blocking from our guys this year and the play in the spring gives us every indication that that's what we'll get, we simply lack the talent possessed by Georgia at these positions.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Georgia returns phenomenal receiver A. J. Green (yep, the same Summerville star that screwed his home state's flagship university by committing to a bitter rival) but loses the aforementioned Massaquoi, and so far it's unclear who will be the second receiver. That could be problematic for Georgia, as Cox could use the benefit of a slew of targets. At TE--a position that hasn't been featured in recent UGA offenses but may be this year--UGA loses ball-dropping machine Tripp Chandler but brings in the highly recruited Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch. Charles is a big, fast player receiving end somewhat out of the Jared Cook mold, while Lynch is more of a traditional end. Either will be a significant improvement over Chandler. I'd call it a push at these positions; after losing Kenny McKinley we don't have anyone like Green on our team, but what we lose in that contrast we gain in better depth.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Line

The 'Dawgs return a very strong couple of players at tackle in Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens. However, they appear to lack a dangerous pass rusher, especially as they'll be without end Justin Houston, who is suspended for the first two games, when they play us. If Ladi Ajiboye plays in this game, I think we have a slight advantage here. While I like Atkins and Owens a bit more than Ajiboye and Nathan Pepper, UGA lacks the sack threats at end that we have in Clifton Geathers and Cliff Matthews.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

UGA and Carolina each return one of the nation's best linebackers in Rennie Curran and Eric Norwood. UGA, however, also returns Daryl Gamble, another quality player, whereas Carolina will still be in the process of breaking in Rodney Paulk and Shaq Wilson as Norwood's partners in crime. UGA gets a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Secondary

Georgia returns star safety Reshad Jones as well as corner Prince Miller but is a little more uncertain at the other two starting spots. This puts them in a similar spot to Carolina, who returns Chris Culliver, who came into his own as a future star late last season, and Darian Stewart but, after the departure of Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Stoney Woodson to the NFL, will have to fill the other spots with a host of freshmen and returning lettermen like Addison Williams who haven't always been the best around. I'm calling this one another push.

Verdict: Push

Special Teams

UGA returns a pretty good placekicker in Blair Walsh. However, their return units were a liability last season, and they'll have to prove they can improve in those areas this year. Carolina has similar questions and lacks the returning kicker, so I'll give UGA a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Head Coaches

Although he's yet to win a national title, Mark Richt has been one of the most consistent coaches in the SEC while at Georgia and has one of the highest winning percentages in school history. In a way, that makes him a lot like Steve Spurrier at Florida before Spurrier won the national title in 1996, as Spurrier had up until that point been a coach that won lots of games and often got his team in position to compete for national titles but usually ended up dropping a game he should have won. My thinking is that Richt will put together that perfect season one day; a coach doesn't put his team in the top 10 as consistently as Richt does without finally having a season when the ball rolls his way. In terms of comparing the two, you can put me in the camp that believes that Spurrier still has his coaching chops, but the fact that Spurrier hasn't managed to really do much since he left Florida in 2001 means that advantage here has to go to Richt, who still appears to be at the height of his powers.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Overall

We and our coach tend to be at the top of our game when facing the 'Dawgs. However, Georgia does have more talent than us at most positions. They also have more depth than us, although I think the gap has closed somewhat and, at any rate, depth shouldn't matter too much in the second game of the season. All of that means that a victory in this game, especially considering it's in Athens, would be an unqualified upset. I think the game will be close and that we'll have a chance to win it late, but I can't bring myself to predict a victory at this point. After we've seen how these two teams play in their season openers, maybe we can revise that.

Prediction: Georgia wins by a touchdown

Post-Spring Preview: NC State, Cont.

Gamecock Man — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:11:42 -0000

This column continues my recent comparison of the two teams' offenses. I would say that our offenses look fairly similar--both have potential but have some questions to answer. On defense, though, I'd say we have a distinct advantage that should play to our favor in the game.

Defensive Line

State's defense was overall pretty regrettable last year, but they were OK against the run (although that's possibly because teams liked to throw against them) and had a solid pass rush. Part of the credit goes to a solid defensive line, most of which they return. The leader is sacks specialist Willie Young.

Carolina loses fifth-year senior and consummate party animal Jordin Lindsey but returns the rest of its line, which includes standouts Ladi Ajiboye, Nate Peppers, and Cliff Matthews. I would expect that Clifton Geathers, who received plenty of PT and made some big plays last year, will replace Lindsey in the starting lineup. It's worth nothing that Ajiboye will be suspended for at least one game due to his academic and legal troubles; whether Spurrier will opt to suspend him for this game or wait until we play a cupcake remains to be seen. All in all, this is a stellar unit in comparison to that of State. While it wasn't our forte last year, the defensive line was serviceable and could be great this year with more experience. Depth will be an issue as always, especialy considering the frequency with which defensive linemen get hurt. However, the same goes for State. Moreover, while our line wasn't our strength last year, it was still one of the better in the SEC, and while State's was their defense's strength, it was still one of the worst in the ACC. I'm going with Carolina on this one, although not by much.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

This is where things begin to get a little more uncertain for State. The 'Pack do return a couple of linebackers with significant experience in Nate Irving and Rey Michel, but they often got crossed up and gave up significant yardage through the air, and reports are that that continued during spring practice. This should be a team that we can carve up in the short passing game if we can muster any semblance of an offense.

Carolina, of course, loses a star linebacker in Jasper Brinkley and a solid backup in Marvin Sapp. However, we return one of the nation's best linebackers in Eric Norwood. Flanking Norwood will probably be a rotating duo of Shaq Wilson and Rodney Paulk. Both have some experience in mop-up duty but will have to learn to be more serviceable quickly. If we end up playing more 4-3 fronts than we did last year, which the coachs have hinted is a possibility, you may see Josh Dickerson or Tony Straugher get some playing time as well. While we have some questions in the linebacking corp, the presence of Norwood as a leader and State's relatively mediocre unit give us a decided advantage here.

Verdict: Strong Advantage South Carolina

Secondary

State returns safety Justin Byers and corner back DeAndre Morgan. The secondary was another problem area for State last year, so losing a couple of guys probably won't hurt much. The returners along with the new guys will have to play better in coverage than they did last year for State to avoid giving up a lot of yards through the air.

Carolina also loses some key players in this area, among them Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, Carlos Thomas, and Stoney Woodsen. We do return Darian Stewart and Chris Culliver as starting safeties. Although Carolina has some talented players that have shown potential at times, such as Addison Williams and Akeem Auguste, and some talented incoming freshman, particulalry uber-recruit Stephon Gilmore, looking to solidify starting roles this fall, the losses in the secondary make this area, usually one of our strengths, a question mark for the defense. I think we're better than State at this position in terms of sheer talent. However, I do worry that if we suffer any injuries that we're going to be in a tough spot in terms of depth.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina

Special Teams

State returns their placekicker, which gives them something to say on top of us. Josh Czajkowski was a very solid kicker for State last year, going 16/19. Although most of his kicks were from short range, 16/19 is not shabby. Given that reports out of spring practice are that we will miss Ryan Succop this year, State gets the advantage here.

In the return game, State returns a solid player in T. J. Graham, who was effective handling both punts and kickoffs, including one kickoff taken back for 100 yards. Carolina loses Captain Munnerlyn but brings back solid kickoff return man Chris Culliver, who I'm assuming will take over on punts this year as well. I'd say State has a slight advantage here as well, which overall gives them a fairly sizeable advantage in special teams. It's also worth noting that we lost a very good special teams coach in Ray Rychleski.

Verdict: Strong Advantage NC State

Head Coaches

NC State's Tom O'Brien has gone 11-13 in his two years at State. Before coming to Raleigh, he coached several moderately successful years at Boston College; while O'Brien never won more than nine in Boston, he won less than eight only three times in a decade. State fans hope that O'Brien can bring the consistency he produced at BC to Raleigh. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier is 28-22 after four years at South Carolina after a stint with the Washington Redskins and a long, successful tenure at Florida, his alma mater. Similarly to O'Brien's relationship to NC State, USC fans are still waiting for Spurrier to bring sustained success to Columbia. With their achievements at their current schools roughly equal, a slight advantage here goes to Spurrier due to his past achievements.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina

Final Verdict

NC State won't be easy this year, especially as we have to play them in Raleigh. However, our defense looks to be significantly better than theirs, so I think that we should be able to win this one unless the offense comes out completely flat and gives up lots of turnovers. I really don't want to think about what happens if we lose this game. The early stretch my be just as difficult as the late-season Orange Crush this year, and if we're going to have any chance at getting to the magical eight-win mark, we need to get out of the first four with at most one loss.

Prediction: Close game most of the way but Carolina pulls away at the ends and wins by 1-2 TDs

Tuesday News and Notes

Gamecock Man — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:43:00 -0000

NFL Draft

New York Jets Sign Emanuel Cook; San Fransisco 49ers Sign Carlos Thomas. They all went in the seventh round or as undrafted free agents, but that makes four USC defensive backs that are headed to the NFL. Not too shabby, huh? Good luck to all of them, even E Cook. By the way, I got together with the SB Nation 49ers site to give their guys the scoop on Thomas.

Kenny KcKinley to Lineup under Center for Denver? Apparently there's something to this, as McKinley claims that Denver expressed interest in his QB abilities. I say great; in fact, I wish Spurrier had tried this a little more often. I'm sure we all remember that TD bomb he delivered to Syvelle Newton late in a game against Kentucky a few years back on a wild end-around that turned out to be a passing play. I guess Spurrier felt like it would be a big sacrifice to take him away from his receiving duties.

Mr. Irrelevant Week. Apparently Ryan Succop has quite a time ahead of him.

Basketball

Lunardi 2010 Bracketology. Never too early, I guess. Lunardi has us as the fourth-to-last in. I'm assuming he believes Devan Downey will be back. Let's hope he's right.

Other Gamecocks News

Mark Silvers Wins SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Silvers sports a 3.9 GPA and apparently is a great golfer to boot. Congrats to Silvers for representing the University so well.

Gamecocks in the NFL Draft: The Winners and the Losers

Gamecock Man — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:41:44 -0000

South Carolina had a quite a day in this year's draft with a total of seven players hearing their names called. Here are my thoughts about who today's big winners--and by that I mean guys that have reason to be happy about how things went down today--and losers--and by that I mean the guys that must be disappointed.

The Winners

Jasper Brinkley - Fifth Round to Minnesota

Before his knee injury in 2007, Brinkley was considered one of the country's top prospects at ILB, so it has to be kind of disappointing to Jasper to see his stock fall due to injury. However, he has to be feeling good about his successful rehabilitation. Plus, he's joining his old buddy Sidney Rice on the roster of a solid NFL franchise. Not too shabby.

Kenny McKinley - Fifth Round to Denver

While McKinley didn't go in the high rounds and walks into an uncertain situation in Denver, I can't help but think that this is a guy that has really overachieved to get drafted at all. He lacks the kind of size that NFL teams want in WRs these days, but his quickness, hands, and football smarts will help him. I'm not sure if he'll ever be a primary receiver, but he has a good future ahead of him as a slot receiver.

Stoney Woodson - Seventh Round to New York Giants

Most folks were unsure on whether Woodson would hear his name called, so he's gotta be happy that New York--one of the league's most successful franchises--chose him. He'll have to fight an uphill battle to make the roster, but NFL scouts apparently see more potential in him than his defensive-backfield buddy Emanuel Cook (see below). Good for him.

Ryan Succop - Seventh Round to Kansas City

Succop is this year's Mr. Irrelevant as the the very last selection of the draft, but for a guy that plays his position, that's good news. If I'm not mistaken, he was one of only two placekickers selected, which is quite an accomplishment. Although he needs to get his head screwed on a little straighter, I've always thought Succop--who has range that is well above average, even for an NFL kicker--could make it in the NFL. Kansas City's choice to use a pick on him suggests that NFL scouts see his potential.

The Losers

Jared Cook - Third Round to Tennessee

Cook was, unsurprisingly, the first Gamecock off the board, so I hesitate to call him a draft-day loser. He did, though, fall further than I thought he would. I thought Cook's unique combination of size, speed, hands, and route-running ability would make him a second-round selection. I probably underestimated, though, the extent to which NFL scouts would at his questionable blocking ability, lack of true TE size, and Spurrier's tendency to line him up wide. The NFL puts a (sometimes unreasonable, I would say) premium on guys that fit the mold of what they think a player at a certain position should look like, and, despite his obviously valuable abilities, Cook just isn't exactly what teams want in a TE. This all makes me wonder if he could have improved his stock by staying another year, putting on some weight, and working on his blocking abilities. You would have to think that if he did those things effectively, he might have a chance to cash in on a first-round paycheck next year. Still, I think Cook made an acceptable decision. He'll sign a nice contract and shouldn't have much trouble getting his hands on a roster spot. Cook didn't do as well as we had hoped today, but he did OK. He also gets the luxury of joining a pretty good team. Could be worse, right? He could have been drafted by the Lions.

Jamon Meredith - Fifth Round to Green Bay

I expected Meredith to go on the first day or early in the third round, but questions about his run blocking abilities apparently made scouts pretty uneasy. Jamon is a good kid and his athletic ability makes him a valuable prospect, but at the end of the day falling as far as he did can't sit well with him.

Captain Munnerlyn - Seventh Round to Carolina

After choosing for an early entry, Munnerlyn saw his stock--which was already questionable after a sub-par 2008 season--fall like a rock as teams expressed concern over his lack of elite size and his possible character issues. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think Munnerlyn made a grave mistake by leaving early. He didn't have the kind of year in 2008 that's made to impress NFL scouts, and if he had come back, worked hard, and had a good 2009, he could have gone much higher in next year's draft. His chioice not to is going to cost him a lot of money. Plus, as a seventh-round selection, his status with Carolina is hardly secure. He'll really have to fight just to make the roster. I wish him luck and thank him for the good things he at times did here, but I really wish he would have made a smarter decision on this. At least he'll get to be close to home if he makes the Panthers' roster.

Emanuel Cook - Undrafted

What do you call declaring early entry and not getting drafted at all? A boneheaded decision of epic proportions. Cook's stock plummeted during the week's leading up to the draft as questions about his athletic ability in the wake of poor workouts supplemented the existing concerns about his character and maturity. I still think Cook may have a place in the league--his success as a college player and physical style indicate that he has what it takes to do well in the NFL--but he's going to have to work for it harder than he decided to work on his classes late last fall. I wish Cook luck and hope he gets a spot as a free agent but can't say that I feel all that sorry for him.

Mike Davis - Undrafted

Not many folks expected Mike to hear his name called, so I hesitate to call him a loser, but in the end, he didn't hear his name called. Like Cook, I hope he gets his shot as a free agent. Mike doesn't have the kind of speed most teams would like, but he's a hard, tough runner, can catch the ball, and blocks well. Some teams could certainly use a guy like that.

Monday News and Notes

Gamecock Man — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:38:47 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

8 months ago: Louisville coach Rick Pitino reacts to a call in the second half of the NCAA Midwest Regional men's college basketball tournament final against Michigan State Sunday, March 29, 2009, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

Football

Jamon Meredith Scouting Report on Phin Addict. Phin Addict is a blog dedicated to following the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are interested in drafting an early round lineman, and I got together with them to give them the scoop on Jamon Meredith, who's quickly rising up the draft charts after some promising workouts. I hope some of you can drop by Phin Addict and share any additional thoughts you have about Jamon for the curious Dolphins fans over there.

Did This Year's Draft Class Underachieve? The question Joe Person asks in this article is a tough but fair one. The amount of NFL-level talent we're putting into the draft this year is considerable, yet this is a program that's one game above .500 over the past two years. I think it makes sense to call that underachievement.

It's also worth noting that Captain Munnerlyn and Emanuel Cook, both of whom made questionable decisions to leave early, have failed to impress in workouts and are looking straight at the possibility of not being drafted. IMO, these are two guys that should have stayed another year, especially Munnerlyn. I appreciate the time they spent here, wish them luck, and hope someone takes a chance on them, but it goes to show you what can happen when you make a bad decision about leaving early.

ACC & SEC Blog's Post-Spring Practice SEC Predictions. Our pal at the ACC & SEC blog has the Gamecocks finishing third in the East, behind the Gators and Dawgs. I'd love to finish higher than that and think it's possible if we can steal the UGA game, but I'll have to admit that at this point I'll take third if it includes eight wins and victories over UT and Clemson.

Baseball

Gamecocks Take Series from Auburn. This win puts us at .500 in conference, good for third in the East behind UGA and UF, and in good position to make a surge for the postseason. Next up are mid-week games against USC-Upstate and Clemson and a huge series with the Gators in Gainesville.

Other NCAA News

Wondering What to Expect from NC State This Year? Apparently, State's spring game was a pretty dull affair. Their offensive line looked bad and they couldn't run the ball, although their QBs played well and their defensive front seven looked promising. Right now, I'd say the 'Pack will be better next year but should be a team we can beat if our offense has come as far along as I think it has. State's defense will be formidable, but they just don't look like a team that's going to score a lot of points next year.

Rick Pitino Extortion Attempt? Not too sure what to make of this one. As far as I can tell, Pitino hooked up with the defendent, who decided to extort money from her famous liason in return for silence. Details are still vague, though.

Five Things I'd Like to See this Today During the Spring Game: Gameday Open Thread

Gamecock Man — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:43:04 -0000

UPDATE: Check out Leftover Hot Dog for more thoughts on the Spring Game.

These are the five things I really want to see when the Garnet and Black teams take the field today. I'd love to hear what the rest of you think in the open thread.

5. A Receiver Reaching 100 Yards

McKinley showed us how much of a class act he is today by taking out space in the paper today to thank Gamecock Nation for its support during his record-breaking career. While we here at Garnet and Black Attack wish Kenny luck in his future endeavors, the fact is that his departure leaves us with a glaring hole on the offense. While a number of our returning receivers--among them Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, and Dion LeCorn--have shown promise over the past couple of years, no one has cemented a spot as the go-to guy. Whether it be one of the returning guys, spring standout Tori Gurley, or TE Wesyle Saunders, someone needs to step up tomorrow.

4. Solid Play from the New Defensive Roster

While Eric Norwood, Darian Stewart, and much of the defensive line, return, the losses of Jasper Brinkley, Emanuel Cook, and Captain Munnerlyn leave major holes to fill from last year's stellar defensive unit. Who's going to step up and win these spots, and, perhaps more importantly, are the reserves going to be good enough to step in if the starters get injured? We need answers to these questions tomorrow.

3. Steve Spurrier Successfully Opening Up the Playbook

Last spring before Stephen Garcia was suspended, Spurrier promised that we would see more zone reads and designed QB runs. Garcia's suspension, though, left Spurrier with more traditional QBs Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher, and Spurrier stuck with his Cock'n'Fire playbook. This year with Garcia seemingly the certain starting QB, Spurrier is again talking about expanding his playbook to fit Garcia's skill set, and reports out of practice are that Spurrier is doing just that. Personally, I think it's a good sign that Spurrier is willing to set his pride aside and adapt to the times and his young QBs unique skills. However, we now need to see it work.

2. Big Performances from the Running Game

Spurrier has recently said that if the season began today, Brian Maddox would most likely be the starter. I liked Maddox's play in limited action last year, so I fully support Spurrier's confidence in the player. However, I believe that when we get into the season we will again to some degree see a tailback committee approach, with Maddox sharing time with Eric Baker, Jarvis Giles, and Kenny Miles. That's fine with me; we now have a decent stable of backs, and we should take advantage of the fresh legs that depth offers us. What I care most about is that these guys produce better than last year's abysmal unit. A lot of the burden, obviously, is also on the offensive line, which block the run atrociously last year. The backs and linemen need to produce this year for us to move forward offensively; reports are that they've played well in practice, and it would be good to see that continue tomorrow.

1. How Well Will Stephen Garcia Play?

I hate to steal The State's number-one spring storyline, but let's face it: is there anybody in Gamecock Nation who's thinking about anything more than Stephen Garcia right now? The story with last year's Spring Game was Garcia's absence due to suspension and the barrage of interceptions and general shoddy play by Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher. When autumn rolled around, we predictably had an awful offense.

This year, though, with Chris Smelley gone, the promising young Garica has a tight grip on the starting spot, and reports are that he's learning the offense, playing well, and, perhaps most importantly, keeping his nose clean. We've been talking about Garcia's promise for sometime around here, but the future is now for Stephen. We need him to step up and lead this team, starting today.

SS, Emanuel Cook, South Carolina

Jeremy Bolander — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:48:38 -0000

SS, Emanuel Cook, South Carolina

At A Glance
Position 1: Strong Safety	Height: 5-10
Position 2: Free Safety	Weight: 197
Class: Junior	Age:
Projected Round: 4th	40time: 4.61

Combine/Proday Results
Bench Reps: 18	Vertical: 35
20yd Split: 2.65	Broad Jump: 9'8"
10yd Split: 1.56	20yd Shuttle: X
3 Cone Drill: X

Pros: Fearless. ... Sound tackler. ... Breaks down in space well due to good lateral quickness and balance and shows rare explosion as a hitter of his size.

Cons: Listed at 5-foot-10, and may be shorter than that. ... Questionable straight-line speed. ... Protected in coverage a bit by South Carolina's unique 4-2-5 scheme.

Styg's Broncos Fit: A terrific zone player with very good tackling, good power, great instincts and the kind of body control needed to capitalize on the above. Not very fast, so his value around the line of scrimmage could be had cheaply.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From "Being Bill Devaney-SS" at Turf Show Times:

A bit undersized to play cornerback in the NFL and this could hurt his draft position. He led the Gamecocks in tackles last sesaon but was ruled academically ineligible and couldn't play in the Outback Bowl. He's got a lot going against him in this draft class between his size and his academics (granted, this could mean nothing but it's worth considering).

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

Cook is only 5'10'' and 210 pounds, so it is conceivable that he might move to cornerback whenever he decides to try his hand at the next level. What he lacks in size, however, he makes up for by being a hard-hitting and fundamentally-sound tackler. Cook also has 4.46 speed in the 40-yard-dash and he will no doubt become a special teams contributor on Sundays. [see more...]
lays with reckless abandon and loves to fly all over the field and throw his body around. Is very coordinated, breaks down well in space and consistently takes good angles to the ball. Possesses clean footwork and a smooth back-pedal. Showcases an ability to flip his hips and run down the field with receivers. A balanced defender who changes directions effortlessly in all areas of his game. [see more...]
He lacks prototypical height, but Cook ranks as one of the better and more physical strong safeties of the 2009 class. An immediate standout for the Gamecocks, Cook left after his junior campaign. He earned all-SEC recognition all three seasons he spent at South Carolina. Similar to Indianapolis Colts' star Bob Sanders, Cook is at his best as a run enforcer and protecting the middle of the defense with his physicality and sound tackling. He'll need to perform well at the Scouting Combine -- both in workouts and in interviews -- to match Sanders' second-round grade. [see more...]

Gamecock Man's Five Questions to Ponder Over Spring Practice

Gamecock Man — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:33:24 -0000

As many have heard, Coach Spurrier is relatively sanguine about this team's talent level and potential. Coach recognizes, however, that we've failed to meet expectations before. How can we avoid the same six-seven win result this year? For me, achievement in 2009 starts with finding answers to five questions over the course of Spring Practice.

1. Will the Offensive Line Improve?

The offense begins in the trenches, so, for a team that had no offense last year, this is where improvement needs to begin. Our line play can't get much worse, so the easy answer is that yes, it will improve. However, the line needs to show drastic improvement if we're going to have anything resembling a functional offense. I'd say we're halfway there already, as, based on recent recruiting, the talent appears to be in place. Maybe not Florida-level talent, mind you, but certainly decent.

However, having talent hasn't stopped our line from playing poorly before, though, so we're now forced to wonder: what can we do to get better? First of all, we have to hope that Eric Wolford gets these guys in line. The biggest issue for these guys seems to be toughness; they really have no excuse for getting beaten off the line by Vandy and other teams. Another thing to keep in mind: Coach Spurrier told potential 2010 recruit QB Connor Shaw that we may move to some zone read schemes, so Wolford will have the added challenge of teaching the guys new blocking schemes.

2. Who Will Be the Backup Quarterback?

Unless Stephen Garcia manages to get himself kicked off the team (not out of the realm of possibilities, but the guy seems to have learned his lessons), it's hard to imagine anyone winning his starting spot. Still, the quick-triggered Spurrier needs a good backup in case he decides Garcia isn't getting it done, so finding another capable signal caller is imperative.

The candidates? While Zac Brindise has the most experience, Reid McCollum and Aramis Hilary appear to be the front runners based on superior talent; incoming freshman Stephon Gilmore may also get a look, but I expect he'll be needed on defense. McCollum is more of a pocket passer, the prototypical guy in a Spurrier offense. Reports are that, out of Hilary and McCollum, McCollum possesses a bigger arm and better accuracy. However, with Spurrier claiming that he's considering a zone read offense with more designed runs to catch up with the times as well as adapt his offense to Garcia's multifaceted talents, Hilary's speed may make him a more viable choice. At any rate, this is a race to watch over the Spring.

3. Who Are Our Primary Running Backs?

Coach Spurrier has promised a better running game this season, and with running-game magician Wolford now working with our linemen and backs, we have reason to hope it might actually happen. However, with Mike Davis and Bobby Wallace gone and neither Baker or Brian Maddox a clear-cut favorite to replace Davis as the feature back, we have a lot of questions at the running back position.

Both Baker and Maddox have shown flashes of potential when they've gotten protection from our line, but speedster Kenny Miles and freshmen Ben Axon and Jarvis Giles will challenge for playing time. (Unfortunately, the highly-touted Giles has an injury and won't see much time this spring.) I like Miles's chances to get on the field in the fall. Miles is probably the fastest of the group, and although he's probably not an every-down back, he could provide the big play threat in the backfield that we've lacked for so long.

4. Can We Effectively Retool the Secondary?

Whatever your feelings about the duo may be, losing Captain Munnerlyn and especially Emanuel Cook leaves big shoes to fill in the secondary. Our pass protection has been a strength over the past two years, no small thanks to these two. We also lose secondary coach Ron Cooper, someone that has gotten results despite being a supposedly bad influence in the locker room.

These losses don't mean that we don't have the players and coaches we need to bring back the magic right away, though. Darian Stewart and Chris Culliver return as guys with major, successful experience this past year. Others, such as Akeem Auguste, have also proven that they have potential. While this trio doesn't fill up all five positions, we also have high-profile recruits like DeVonte Holloman and Stephon Gilmore on their way in. Top that off with new coach Lorenzo Ward, and this should remain a successful unit. The question remains, though: with so much change, can they be as successful as in years past?

5. Can Someone Replace Ryan Succop?

As the following Allstate commercial reminds us, you oftentimes forget about the kicker until you need him.

While some might principally remember Succop's well-documented struggles in the middle of last season, the fact remains that the guy was usually a top-notch kicker. It was easy to take him for granted while he was here, but now we can't anymore. Moreover, you really realize you need a kicker when, unlike in the Allstate commercial, you've got a guy like Jad Dean that costs you games that you should have or at least had a very good chance to win.

In line to replace Succop stand Adam Yates or Spencer Lanning. Lanning, as you'll remember, handled punting duties this past season, and will do so again this year. Yates appears to have the head up to win the starting job at placekicker. Can he, or Lanning if need be, ably replace Succop, though? Time will tell, but I certainly hope so.

To wrap up, wanna know one position that's not a question mark

This guy's going to hurt people this year. No question about that!