One of the constants of Steve Spurrier's tenure at USC has been the typically outstanding play of the wide receivers corps. We've had a number of notable stars during this time. In 2005-2006, Sidney Rice and, to a lesser extent, Kenny McKinley took the SEC by storm. After Rice's departure to the NFL, McKinley became the focal point of the passing offense, breaking several career records in the process. In 2009, we began the season with some question marks at the position, but Tori Gurley and, later, Alshon Jeffery emerged as high-quality targets. Gurley and, especially, Jeffery continued their excellent play in 2010, the year when the Gamecocks offense as a whole came of age. Jeffery became a household name this year. The passing offense struggled in 2011, but Jeffery was still a second-round draft pick, and Ace Sanders also provided a quality target. Carolina has also been blessed with some excellent pass-catching tight ends during this time, particularly Jared Cook and Weslye Saunders. Many of these guys have gone on to NFL careers, with Rice being the most successful so far.

Much like in 2009, the Gamecocks have question marks at these positions going into 2012. Jeffery is gone to the NFL, as is Jason Barnes. All other players who caught passes last year return, but that doesn't include anyone who caught for over 400 yards. Two of the guys with over 100 yards receiving are runningbacks (Marcus Lattimore and Brandon Wilds). The Gamecocks should have improved play at quarterback given Connor Shaw's maturation over the course of the last few games of 2011, but who will Shaw throw the ball to?

Luckily, as with 2009, the Gamecocks do have some (albeit unproven) solid options. Sanders caught for over 300 yards last year at the slot position. He was particularly impressive over the final few games of the season, making big, impressive catches deep down field against Florida and The Citadel. On both of those plays, he showed the ability to get separation and then make a tough catch in stride. Bruce Ellington has also shown flashes of brilliance. He's certainly a very elusive player who is capable of getting open and then of doing things once the ball is in his hands. Much like Sanders in 2011, I expect him to make a leap to the next level in 2012.

We're also very solid at TE. Both Justice Cunningham and Rory Anderson played well last season, with Cunningham excelling in a blocking role (but also catching some big passes) and Anderson excelling catching the ball. I was particularly impressed with Anderson's ability to break tackles and gain yards after the catch. He seems to have the kind of vision necessary to excel on the drag route, which is one of Steve Spurrier's favorite plays. Carolina also has a handful of other guys who could make a contribution at the position. Drew Owens, who many thought was better than Anderson coming out of high school as part of the 2011 class, was a breakout player in spring ball and looks to see the field this fall. And then we have some incoming freshman who are very talented.

With a TE corps this deep and questions at WR, I think there's a good chance (at least I hope there's a good chance, because I love these formations) that we'll see some two-TE sets this year, or at least some sets where Cunningham comes out of the backfield and Anderson or Owens is on the line of scrimmage. Cunningham's blocking ability would make him a good lead blocker for Shaw, Lattimore, and our other runners (particularly important for what will likely continue to be a fairly running-oriented offense), while this lineup also give us a dangerous down-field threat from the guy on the line of scrimmage. We had some success in 2010 with Patrick DiMarco playing the modified FB / TE role, and we have the personnel to do so again this season. Of course, this formation will work better if Anderson and Owens continue to improve as blockers.

Continue reading after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Quick note: I'm going to be on vacation over the next couple of weeks, and I'm moving after I get back, so posting may be a bit sparse for a while. However, once July or so rolls around, I'll be hitting the football previews pretty hard. And I will be posting in the meantime, just not as frequently as usual.

The Gamecocks take on Vandy this afternoon. Go 'Cocks!

UPDATE: Carolina lost to Vandy, and today we're playing Auburn.

Today we're wrapping up our series of MLB Draft previews (done in collaboration with the USC-grad-run Crawfish Boxes), at least for the moment. Today, we're chatting about Gamecocks slugger Christian Walker. Walker, a junior, has the option of coming back for his senior season, but after a strong career as a Gamecock, he'll be an attractive prospect in the coming draft and may choose to forego his senior season if things go well for him. What are the chances of that happening? Let's take a look.

Pros

Walker has improved since coming to Columbia. In his freshman year, he was a solid hitter who earned freshman All-America honors en route to helping the Gamecocks earn their first national title. In his sophomore season, he became the team's premier bat, hitting .358 with a .554 slugging percentage en route to helping Carolina repeat. This year, his average has taken a slight dip to .338, but his slugging percentage remains at .553. Walker has also been effective in drawing walks over the course of his career, and only rarely strikes out. As the numbers suggest, Walker is an all-around excellent hitter who can hit for average and on-base percentage as opposed to just power. He hits the ball where it is pitched and can use his wrists to adjust well to moving pitches. He's also a very good fielder who can play both first and third base. To top it all off, he's tough, having played his way through injury in last year's CWS, and making some key plays while hurt, to boot.

Cons

Are there any? One thing that may play against Walker is that while he's an excellent athlete, he's not a physically imposing player, a la your typical MLB first baseman / power hitter. That may cause teams to wonder if he's capable of producing similar power numbers in the pros. However, again, Walker is not a one-dimensional hitter, so questions about his power will be assuaged by the strengths in the rest of his game.

In Sum

Walker is a total-package-type player who stands the best shot of all of our guys of making it to the big leagues. He's likely to be taken in the early rounds, mid at the latest. As such, this is likely Walker's last season in the garnet and black.

This post continues our series on Gamecocks in the MLB Draft. This time, we're talking about Michael Roth. Needless to say, Roth is one of the most popular players on the Gamecocks' roster. After coming out of nowhere to shut down Clemson in the 2010 CWS (I've heard Tigers fans refer to Roth as Clemson kryptonite, which likely explains Roth's popularity among Carolina fans), Roth became our Friday starter in 2011 and had an All-American season, even being recognized as Player of the Year by some publications. He returned for his senior season, and while he's not been quite as dominant as he was in 2011, he's still been very good. What can you say? The guy has had a charmed career. Let's see if he can continue it at the next level.

Last Year

Roth was selected last year in the 31st round by the Cleveland Indians.

Pros

Roth is not a power pitcher (his fastball generally clocks in the mid- to upper eighties), but he's a smart guy who makes his living outwitting batters. He's your classic crafty lefty: He gets right-handed batters to chase after curves and bite on change-ups, and he likes to use a slider against left-handed batters. He also throws side-arm against lefties. There are many pro pitchers who are able to make a living off this kind of strategy, and Roth has certainly proven--the numbers speak for themselves--that he's capable of thriving off being a multiple-pitch guy.

Cons

As said, Roth isn't a power pitcher. His velocity has increased since he arrived at USC; he started in the low eighties, and he's now regularly getting into the high eighties. That's respectable. However, it won't consistently get it done for a MLB fastball, and he may find that without a really great fastball, he won't be able to outsmart more talented batters quite as often as he has in college.

In Sum

Based on his lack of a strong fastball, there are question marks about whether Roth can be a stellar starter in the pros. However, his ability to deal effectively with various types of batters, particularly right-handers, may make him a valuable situational reliever. That might be his best bet for making it in MLB.

In conjunction with the SBN Houston Astros blog The Crawfish Boxes, I'm doing a brief series on some of our baseball players who may feature in the MLB Draft. Today, we're starting with Matt Price. Price, of course, has been Carolina's closer since the 2010 season, and he's beloved by Gamecocks fans for his dominant performances in Omaha, including a memorable performance in Game One last year against Florida. But how will he fare in the major leagues? Let's take a closer look.

Last Year

Price was drafted last season in the sixth round, which is pretty respectable for an aspiring pro. He returned for his senior season in order to see if he could improve his stock, in part by proving his capabilities as a starter.

Pros

Price is a power pitcher who has notched more Ks than IP the past three years, including an 83-55.2 ratio in 2010. He posted similar numbers in 2011, although they're a bit down this year. Price also throws a fairly effective slider. He's generally shown good control of the ball over the course of his career. At his best, he's shown a repertoire that could get it done in a variety of MLB roles. It's also worth pointing out that Price is a proven clutch performer in the post-season, something any MLB team wants in its closer. He pitched nine scoreless innings over eight outings in last year's CWS.

Cons

After returning for 2012 in order to improve his stock, Price may have actually hurt it. On the one hand, he didn't prove himself in the starting role, although that is as much due to our need for a dominant closer as it is to his own struggles in the starting role. While not dominant in his handful of starts, he wasn't chopped liver, either. Still, one of his goals was to do more work in the starter's role, and that simply didn't happen. On the other hand, his play has dropped off a bit this year. Price has always tended to be a feast or famine pitcher who is either hit hard or notches strike outs, but that's been even more the case this year, as reflected in the fact that he has an unimpressive ERA (3.69) and an extremely impressive OBA (.198). He tends to be especially vulnerable when his velocity is having an off day, which may suggest that he's a limited pitcher in terms of repertoire. Of course, whether these numbers reflect the normal course of things or Price's confused roles over the course of the year is unclear. One other caveat about Price's somewhat lackluster 2012 numbers is that he's generally pitched well when he's had to; for instance, he gave up several runs in a game the Gamecocks had already run away with against Arkansas, which bumped up his ERA but didn't really hurt us too much, while he continues to generally shut opponents down in tight games.

In Sum

Obviously, players who are proven starters are more valuable than closers, and Price's value--whether he is drafted higher than the sixth round--will likely depend on how well he can convince teams that he's capable of playing that role. That said, Price is a pretty sure bet to get a shot in the pros due to his relief abilities; even if starters are more valuable, everyone needs a good closer, and Price has more than proven that he can get it done in that role. That's why I feel he's a solid guy to take a chance on; you're betting on whether he can be a starter at some point, but if he doesn't, you've got a good relief guy in the bargain.

1. LSU Tigers

The Tigers earned their SEC championships the hard way, with a tight series win in Columbia against the number two team. You can't begrudge them their due at this point.

2. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks came up just short of the SEC Championship, but they win the East after a strong second half to the season.

3. Florida Gators

The Gators have a strong case for number two, but I'm giving it to South Carolina due to Carolina's stronger recent play.

4. Kentucky Wildcats

Simply not playing their best baseball of the season heading into the conference tournament. I'm beginning to smell a flame out.

5. Mississippi St. Bulldogs

Unlike Kentucky (who they swept), the Bulldogs are red hot heading into the SECT. After being swept by South Carolina back in early April, the Bulldogs have won every series except for Florida. They capped it off this past weekend with a series-defining sweep against Kentucky.

6. Arkansas Razorbacks

After struggling for a couple of weeks, perhaps a sweep against lowly Tennessee was what the Hogs needed to regain their confidence.

7. Vanderbilt Commodores

Another blistering hot team, the Commodores struggled throughout the early season before finally beginning to play up to their lofty preseason expectations in recent weeks. They swept a solid Ole Miss team over the weekend.

8. Mississippi Rebels

Like Kentucky, the Rebels are limping into the SECT.

9. Georgia Bulldogs

Series loss to Alabama? Me thinks this may be David Perno's last hurrah in Athens.

10. Auburn Tigers

Got rocked in first two games against the Gators, but then did South Carolina a huge favor by winning game three and keeping the Gators from the SEC East Title.

11. Alabama Crimson Tide

Thankfully, the season is over for these guys. At least they ended on a high note.

12. Tennessee Volunteers

These guys can't say the same.

Go 'Cocks!

Many of you are probably familiar with SBN's fine LSU blog, And the Valley Shook. The folks over there (specifically, PodKATT) and I got together to chat about this weekend's pivotal SEC series, which may determine the SEC Championship, depending on what happens with Kentucky. Here's what they had to say in response to my questions. (Here are my responses to their questions.)

1. LSU ranks 43rd in the country with a 3.26 team ERA. Not great, but certainly not bad. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your pitching staff? What should we expect from the starters, and how deep is the bullpen?

2. LSU's Raph Rhymes (what a name, huh?) leads the country with an unbelievable .478 BA, a full .28 points ahead of the next guy in line. What makes Rhymes so good? Any chance he breaks .500?

It's been pointed out on a few TV games this year (and will likely be brought up by the ESPNU crew on Saturday) that Rhymes succeeds because his swing keeps the bat flat and level through most of the strike zone, and it gives him a higher chance of hitting the ball. He's not a power hitter by any means, but he's great at getting a short single that will bring somebody in for a run. He was hitting .500 heading into last weekend, but after going 2 for 12 in the series, it's going to be tough to make up that ground. I won't say it's impossible, but he's going to have to have a stellar weekend for him to get back to .500 in these last 3 games. The national batting title (and a new LSU all-time record) are certainly going to be his though.

3. LSU has generally been a pretty effective team--obviously, since the SEC crown is on the line this weekend. However, the Tigers have lost series to mid-tier teams like Auburn and Vandy. What has been at play in LSU's breakdowns over the course of the season?

LSU's problem all year is that the offense isn't strong enough to pull away from decent teams, which has lead to an amazing 15 one-run games in league play. I'm going to sound like a homer, but there are decent excuses for all 3 of LSU's series losses this year. Early on vs. Appalachian State, we essentially pulled a Michigan. They were a good team (that will make the NCAA's this year) that had an outstanding weekend and LSU didn't respect what they were capable of. Against Auburn, some questionable calls at home plate and a severe season ending neck injury to our center fielder helped give the other Tigers the edge. Things were going great against Vandy until our starting catcher Ty Ross had to be rushed to the hospital Saturday afternoon for an emergency appendectomy, taking his decent bat and excellent pickoff skills with him. Vandy took immediate advantage of his replacement and had 9 stolen bases the rest of the weekend. LSU's offense is just good enough to keep us in games when our pitching is decent, but if some odd injury happens or if you catch the battery on a bad night, LSU will be hard pressed to overcome a lead.

4. Tell us how you think the weekend will pan out.

Almost anything could happen results wise and I would not be surprised. Both teams are strong enough to win the weekend, but I think home field advantage in the SEC alone is enough to keep LSU from sweeping. Thursday night will be a real challenge for Gausman (and should make for an excellent pitcher's duel) but I think LSU can take it. I'm not certain Eades will get out of his funk, so I'm guessing the Gamecocks take the finale on Saturday. Friday is the wildcard here and I'm just not sure if Aaron Nola and the bullpen will be able to take it. I'll say LSU wins the series 2-1, but that 2nd game is a toss up.

We're in the process of wrapping up our analyses of the state of South Carolina football post-spring practice. Today we're looking at special teams. Here are a few other posts you might want to read, if you haven't already done so: defensive backs, offensive line, defensive line.

Last year was the first time in a long time when we were a bit uncertain in the kicking game, as Ryan Succop and Spencer Lanning had given us legitimately elite performers over the course of their tenure. As their replacements, Jay Wooten proved to be a fairly reliable placekicker (although he had some bad misses on the year, he was money in two of our biggest games, Georgia and Clemson), but Joey Scribner-Howard was inconsistent as the punter. Both are now graduating, and we're again looking at uncertain prospects. At kicker, I don't feel too bad. Adam Yates came in with a solid pedigree, and he looked very solid in the Spring Game, doing some excellent work on kickoffs and then kicking through a 51-yard FG to close out the contest. Landon Ard is another talented kicker who is in the running for both duties. Punter, on the other hand, again looks like a liability. Right now, it appears that Patrick Fish will be our starter. He was shaky all spring and has not proven himself as an SEC-caliber punter. Mike Williamson is also in the mix there. At one time it looked like South Carolina was going to bring in Fort Mill kicker Worth Gregory to do its punting and perhaps placekicking, but Gregory decided to attend Alabama instead. I'll have to admit that I'm worried about our situation at punter. Let's just hope we don't have to punt too much!

At the return man positions, I'll have to admit that I'm a little uninformed about current developments. The depth chart lists Victor Hampton and Damiere Byrd as the kick returners, Ace Sanders as the punt returner. Sanders is almost certainly the guy on punts, particularly now that Stephon Gilmore is gone, and he's been solid so far. However, I'm not sure if Hampton and Byrd are going to hold on kickoffs. Hampton, I feel, is likely to get a lot of opportunities; I liked what he brought quite a bit late last season, and he ended up, in fact, leading the team in return average. To go along with speed and vision, Hampton has the kind of fire when he's on the field that you like to see from a returner--he's the kind of guy you can see breaking a big tackle, not giving up on the play, and getting some big gains. Byrd I'm not sure about. Obviously, he's a burner, but I haven't seen him return many kicks yet, so I'm not sure how well his speed translates on the field. Bruce Ellington and Kenny Miles also saw time on kickoffs last season, with Ellington showing some nice flashes.

Our coverage units were generally decent last year. There was a costly breakdown against Arkansas, but I felt we bounced back nicely from that game and limited the dangerous Florida and Clemson return units. We do lose a key coverage guy in Marty Markett, but the coaching staff has generally been pretty good about identifying guys like that, and we have some good candidates on the current roster.

The other thing to note about special teams is that we have a new special teams coach: Joe Robinson. Robinson is best known for his work at LSU:

Prior to his arrival in Chapel Hill, Robinson spent three seasons as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at LSU. In his award-winning 2010 season, the Tigers' special teams finished in the top 13 nationally in net punting, kickoff return average and punt return average while earning a trip to the Cotton Bowl. In 2009, LSU's special teams combined to rank No. 1 overall in the SEC as the Tigers led the league in both kickoff coverage (44.5 net average) and punt returns (18.9). LSU was the only team in the league to rank among the top three in the conference in four special teams categories. Kick returner Trinton Holliday led the SEC and ranked No. 2 in the nation in punt returns and was selected in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.

Not bad. Granted, LSU has been blessed with some phenomenal special teams stars over the years; I would imagine that none of us have forgotten little Trinton Holliday. However, the Gamecocks have some athletes of their own on the roster now, and I'm curious to see if Robinson can recreate some of the LSU magic with this group of players. One thing I'd like to see is more emphasis on setting up good protection schemes as opposed to going all out for the block on punts. Obviously, a block is great, but I tend to believe that in the long run, it's best to set up the return if you have a reliable return man. We do, and I'd like to see him get more opportunities this year.

1. Kentucky Wildcats (41-11 / 18-9)

A visit from Alabama was just what the doctor ordered for Kentucky, which got its season back on track with a dominant sweep over the Tide.

2. South Carolina Gamecocks (38-13 / 17-9)

You know, if Carolina had played and won Sunday, I would probably have left them at first. However, we'll never know how the Georgia series would have ended, and with Kentucky a half game up on Carolina and sporting a head-to-head sweep, I just can't rationalize keeping us ahead of them right now. The Gamecocks will have a good opportunity to prove themselves this coming weekend, when they play...

3. LSU Tigers (39-13 / 17-10)

The Tigers have the shaky West wrapped up, but losing two games by a run apiece to Vanderbilt over the weekend still has to sting and will likely hurt LSU in the overall conference standings. The Tigers travel to Columbia this weekend to take on the Gamecocks.

4. Florida Gators (38-14 / 16-11)

Florida managed to gut out two wins over what has become a feisty Mississippi St. team. They're still in the conference race, but they need to sweep Auburn this weekend and hope for some help from LSU against USC and Miss. St. against Kentucky.

5. Arkansas Razorbacks (35-17 / 13-14)

Perhaps a bit hung over from the recent tough series against the Gamecocks, the Razorbacks dropped a home series to Auburn. Not good. Still seems like the best of the mid-pack teams to me, though, although they really need to regroup if they intend to do anything in the post-season.

6. Mississippi Rebels (34-18 / 14-13)

The Rebels used a sweep over Tennessee to get their heads back above water. They're now at 20th in the RPI and could use some more momentum as we approach tourney time.

7. Mississippi St. Bulldogs (31-20 / 13-14)

There's no shame in losing in Gainesville, but State would have really liked to have taken that series. It's been trending in a positive direction of late, and one more win against the Gators would have really helped.

8. Georgia Bulldogs (29-22 / 13-13)

Georgia missed out on Game Three against the Gamecocks, which may or may not have been a blessing, depending on who you ask. The Dawgs have a good chance to finish above .500 in the league with a trip to Tuscaloosa on deck. You have to wonder if two losses in that series would do David Perno in.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores (26-25 / 13-14)

One of the conference's hottest teams, Vandy picked a good time to get out of its funk. Unfortunately, that funk lasted most of the season, and the 'Dores were in a pretty deep hole when they decided to start playing well. However, with an RPI of 38 and rising, Vandy, despite the ugly record, may have a better chance than you think of getting into the post-season, where it could likely wreak some havoc if it keeps playing like it is currently.

10. Auburn Tigers (28-23 / 12-15)

Nice series win over Arkansas. This season may not be quite done for the Tigers.

11. Tennessee Volunteers (24-27 / 8-19)

It probably is done for these guys.

12. Alabama Crimson Tide (18-33 / 7-20)

It's definitely done for these guys.

After Georgia and South Carolina split the first two games, Sunday's finale was canceled due to weather. It's unclear who got the better end of that deal; Dawg Sports believes that Georgia likely would have lost and that the Dawgs caught a break courtesy of Mother Nature (by the way, Happy Mother's Day to any moms reading this blog), but considering that we would have again been without Colby Holmes, it's hard to say. Forrest Koumas pitched well in place of Holmes last week, but Koumas has had a shaky year, and there's no guarantee that he would have had good stuff today. We also went deep into our bullpen on Friday and Saturday, which might have come into play. Regardless, it is what it is, and the game won't be made up.

Fans were treated to good baseball the first two nights. Friday night's game was a pitcher's duel, with Michael Roth and UGA ace Alex Wood delivering anticipated gems. The Gamecocks finally got to the Dawgs in the seventh with L.B. Dantzler's solo home run and later added a couple of insurance runs before Matt Price came in for the save in the 3-0 win. South Carolina gave up only five hits on the evening. Saturday would be different. Georgia starter Michael Pallazone delivered another good start for UGA, but Jordan Montgomery was shaky again, giving up five runs early and leaving the game in the fourth inning. Carolina's middle relief kept things close, which gave Carolina the opportunity it needed to tie things up in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. However, Price wouldn't come through this time around, and Georgia won on a walk-off single in the tenth.

If there's one thing to take away from the weekend, it's that Carolina has some questions on its pitching staff. First of all, Montgomery had another shaky outing, and you have to wonder if Ray Tanner isn't going to consider pulling him from his weekend starting role in favor of Koumas once Holmes returns. Second of all, Price also struggled over the weekend, giving up a couple of hits in Friday's save and then letting Georgia walk off on Saturday. Price's numbers are still impressive in some regards, so perhaps it's premature to begin questioning him, but it goes without saying that we need him pitching better than he did this weekend.

Since the Gamecocks and UGA will have played one less league game than the other teams in the conference, the championship could be decided by a half game. Currently, Carolina is 17-9, while Kentucky is 18-9 after sweeping 'Bama and LSU is 17-10 after losing its series to Vandy. (Florida is 16-11, so they're still in it for the East but would need a lot of help.) Needless to say, whatever happens, Carolina needs to win the series against LSU. If it only wins two of three, Carolina then needs some help from Mississippi St., which hosts UK. If both teams go 2-1, then Kentucky wins by a half game. That may seem a bit unfair, but then again, we had our chances to take one of those games in Lexington, and it may come back to bite us now.

Go 'Cocks!

The Gamecocks (37-12 / 16-8) are back in action this weekend, with a key three-game series at Georgia (28-21 / 12-12). Carolina is currently one of the hottest teams in country, having won six straight SEC series, including 13 of the last 14 conference games, and having risen to the top of the league standings. The Gamecocks are now in the top five in most major polls are appear to be primed for another post-season run. Georgia, for its part, has had an up-and-down season. (This has been a trend in recent years, and the natives are getting a bit restless.) However, the Bulldogs are a talented team that has shown flashes of competitiveness over the course of the season, and they're coming off a series sweep of Auburn. With the Bulldogs looking to keep cranking on a late-season run of their own, and the game on their home turf, we can expect their best shot.

Let's take a look at the probable rotation:

Friday
South Carolina - Michael Roth (Sr. LHP) 4-0, 2.82 ERA, 79.2 IP, 22 BB, 60 SO
Georgia - Alex Wood (So. LHP) 6-1, 2.64 ERA, 81.2 IP, 19 BB, 81 SO

Saturday
South Carolina - Jordan Montgomery (Fr. LHP) 4-1, 3.98 ERA, 52.0 IP, 6 BB, 37 SO
Georgia - Michael Palazzone (Sr. RHP) 2-5, 5.45 ERA, 66.0 IP, 11 BB, 53 SO

Sunday
South Carolina - TBA
Georgia - Luke Crumley (Fr. RHP) 2-2, 4.02 ERA, 31.1 IP, 14 BB, 20 SO

A few things to note. Obviously, Michael Roth struggled a bit last week, giving up six runs in the first three innings, although not all of those were earned. However, you have to give him credit for keeping the game in check after that point. The seams didn't come loose; he did his part to keep the Gamecocks in the game and to give us a chance to come back. He's still one of the SEC leaders in several significant statistical categories, so, as I've said before, rumors of his demise are exaggerated. This guy is still a very good pitcher, even if he's not quite as dominant as last year.

The one who I thought really struggled last week is Jordan Montgomery, who, after a couple of shaky starts, really needs to pick himself up off the ground and get back at it on Saturday.

Then, the big question mark is Sunday. It's a bit unclear if Colby Holmes will be ready to go again or whether we'll have to wait until LSU to see him again. If he doesn't pitch this weekend, I would like to see us go to Forrest Koumas again. Koumas looked like he was back to form this past Sunday, going toe-to-toe with Arkansas's D.J. Baxendale and keeping the Hogs off the board long enough for us to finally get around to shelling Baxendale and his relief late in the game.

On Georgia's side, as you can see by the starting statistics, the Saturday and Sunday starters are not the best. If we hit the ball well, we should be able to manufacture some runs in these games. And the truth is that we've been hitting the ball increasingly well of late. A couple of guys who deserve a lot of accolades for how they're playing right now are Grayson Greiner and Chase Vergason. Greiner, who is also killing it defensively, has been hitting the ball very hard lately. Among other accomplishments in the series, he hit the first HR that Arkansas ace Ryne Stanek has given up all year. He's recently raised his SEC average above .300. Vergason is also hot. After struggling for several weeks, he's come on well lately and went 5-10 against the Hogs, with several key hits. Past those guys, Christian Walker, Evan Marzilli, and Tanner English are all playing very well from the plate.

Who will win the series? I think the key game will be the Friday night contest. I like us to shell Georgia on Saturday and Sunday; the UGA starters are weak, and things could get even more fun if we get into the bullpen. However, I wouldn't be surprised if we lose a high-scoring game in one of the two contests, particularly if Montgomery continues to struggle. That leaves Friday, and whether Roth shuts UGA down and we get to UGA ace Alex Wood. Should be exciting to see what happens.

I'm a little late to this, but we would like to address the NCAA penalty situation, which stemmed mainly from the SAM Foundation and Whitney Hotel fiascoes. Here's what you already know: After determining that South Carolina "failed to monitor" (a type of serious NCAA infraction) its athletic programs, the NCAA accepted USC's self-imposed penalties, the most significant of which are a loss of six scholarships over the next three years and a sizeable reduction in official visits over the next year. There is no postseason ban, nor any vacation of victories.

While the fact that the NCAA didn't impose any additional penalties may have come as a shock to Clemson fans, no one else will find this surprising. In explaining its decision, the NCAA cited South Carolina's exemplary cooperation with its investigation:

The penalties could've been much more severe. Banowsky, commissioner of Conference USA, said South Carolina chose not to manage information and protect itself from NCAA investigators as other schools have done when faced with allegations of rule breaking.

"They wanted to ask all the hard questions of all the right people," Banowsky said. "Even went beyond what the NCAA staff was doing. We see that less likely than we see the other approach and the report reflects how pleased the committee was with their diligence."

The NCAA is not the most consistent entity when it comes to handing down punishment for infractions, but it has typically been significantly more lenient on programs that have cooperated with its investigations than it has with programs that have been defiant or deceptive. That's why you should have expected a favorable response here. Moreover, while the NCAA didn't speak to this specifically, I remain skeptical of the seriousness of USC's infractions. However, this was a repeat offense by our program, so the danger of stiff penalties was there. It was our cooperation that negated any chance of a really tough ruling.

What should we expect from here? Well, hopefully, first of all, better performance from our compliance staff. The offending parties, including those who knowingly allowed our players to stay at the Whitney under the reduced rates, have been disciplined. Hopefully, they've learned their lessons and the entire department will be more vigilant going forward.

Continue reading after the jump.

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Here's my final ballot. Only change is that I dropped TCU a bit considering some suggestions in the comments section regarding their team chemistry after their off-season problems.

SBN is doing a late-spring blogpoll ballot. Here's my draft. Let me know if you have any thoughts and concerns, and I'll consider incorporating them into my submission tomorrow morning. I should note that I'm voting on a power ranking system; I'm trying not to think too much about things like, "well, FSU is bound to win 11 games in ACC, so they should be top 5."

1. LSU Tigers
2. Southern Cal Trojans
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Oregon Ducks
5. Oklahoma Sooners

Some of these I've read today from around SBN have Alabama in the top spot. I don't see that. True, Alabama had a great team last year, but they lost a lot--about half of the first round of the NFL Draft, to be precise. Much as we saw with the Tide in 2010, it's difficult to bounce back from that kind of attrition and maintain true dominance. That doesn't mean they won't be really good, though, which is why I have them third.

LSU and Southern Cal were tough to pick from. On the one hand, LSU is the deepest teams in the nation in terms of elite returning talent, even if they also lost a couple of key pieces. QB play will be improved, finally. Then again, Les Miles is their coach, and while he mostly showed himself in a good light last year, it's hard not to wonder if a more stable coach would have had his team more ready for the biggest game of the year. I still, though, think this is a more talented team than Southern Cal, although I could see the argument for the Trojans, who I think will be excellent next year. Of course, on has to take a "believe it when I see it" approach with Lane Kiffin winning a national title.

Oregon and Oklahoma are good, but I see a pretty sizeable drop-off after Alabama.

6. Florida St. Seminoles
7. Michigan Wolverines
8. South Carolina Gamecocks
9. West Virginia Mountaineers
10. TCU Horned Frogs

This group is a bit of a grab-bag of teams that could finish in the top five if things really go their way (particularly with Florida St. and WVU having easy schedules), but that could just or perhaps more easily finish outside the top ten. In any event, I like this Florida St. team to break through in the ACC this year, Michigan in the B10, and both stack up well against other teams of comparable rank. South Carolina is my pick in the SEC East, but I don't think they're in the same class as LSU or Alabama. WVU is certainly an intriguing team after the Orange Bowl; they've got tons of offensive talent coming back. TCU is usually solid and has some good pieces returning.

Keep reading after the jump.

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1. South Carolina Gamecocks (36-12 / 16-8)

After the Gamecocks proved they can do more than sweep lower-tier opponents by escaping Baum Stadium with a series victory, it's impossible to any longer ignore that this is the hottest team in the league. The fun doesn't stop, though, with series against Georgia and LSU to follow, so the Gamecocks will have to prove they indeed belong here.

2. LSU Tigers (38-11 / 16-8)

The Tigers won two out of three over Ole Miss to keep themselves in good position to win the SEC Championship.

3. Florida Gators (35-13 / 14-10)

The Gators bounced back from a series loss to Arkansas the weekend to knock off Kentucky. The Gators are still a bit behind in the conference race, but you have to be impressed with their pitchers going into Lexington and shutting down the 'Cats like they did.

4. Kentucky Wildcats (37-11 / 15-9)

Is it time to worry about Kentucky yet? Perhaps not, considering that there's not really any shame in losing to Florida. However, the 'Cats do seem to be losing their once formidable momentum at just the wrong time.

5. Arkansas Razorbacks (34-15 / 12-12)

Even after missing out on a golden opportunity with the Gamecocks in town, the Razorbacks still have the look and feel of a solid contender that will be dangerous in the postseason.

6. Mississippi Rebels (31-18 / 11-13)

I was tempted to keep MSU above Ole Miss, but a look at the RPI suggests that I may be overvaluing recent results over overall body of work. That said, Ole Miss is definitely struggling right now and needs to get its feet back under it quickly.

7. Mississippi St. Bulldogs (29-18 / 12-12)

Like I said, the overall body of work isn't great. However, this team is winning consistently now and is trending in a positive direction at the right time of the year.

8. Georgia Bulldogs (28-20 / 12-12)

Another team with a little momentum after a sweep over Auburn. Big test this weekend against the Gamecocks.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores (23-24 / 11-13)

Back from the dead, the Commodores have found their groove. Another good week may see them break .500.

10. Auburn Tigers (25-22 / 10-14)

Probably the league's most difficult-to-predict team, the Tigers dropped off again this week with an ugly sweep at the hands of Georgia.

11. Tennessee Volunteers (23-24 / 8-16)

This once looked like a promising season for UT, but it ended up being more of the same.

12. Alabama Crimson Tide (18-30 / 7-17)

Yech.

If you told me Friday afternoon that Michael Roth, Jordan Montgomery, and Matt Price (at times) would struggle over the weekend, I would have said that we would lose this series. Perhaps we would be swept. After all, Roth was going up against formidable Arkansas starter Ryne Stanek. How could we win if Roth didn't hold his own? Moreover, while we were uncertain of our Sunday starter, Arkansas would be throwing red-hot DJ Baxendale. That would be another win for the Hogs right there. Throw in a bad start by Montgomery, and we'd be toast.

Yet the Gamecocks managed to get the series win over the Hogs, winning two. All three games were close, high-scoring affairs. Friday, the Gamecocks rallied after Roth got hit hard early in the game; Saturday saw several lead changes, with the Hogs taking and maintaining a late lead; and Sunday, Forrest Koumas returned to his 2011 form and dueled with Baxendale, with the Gamecocks finally getting to Baxendale late and hanging on to win, despite a shaky relief appearance from a likely tired Price. As the high scoring suggests, the Gamecocks hit the ball well against a solid Arkansas staff, coming up with 31 hits on the weekend, including quite a few extra-base hits and a handful of home runs. Some of the stars from the plate were Christian Walker, Evan Marzilli, Adam Matthews, Chase Vergason, Tanner English, and Grayson Greiner. Roth even got in on the action, with a couple of clutch hits as a pinch hitter. Matthews also deserves some credit for a couple of great throws to home that took runs away from the Hogs.

Events around the conference were also kind to the Gamecocks. Needless to say, another key series this weekend was Florida at Kentucky, and with Carolina entering the weekend up on the Gators and tied with the 'Cats in the conference standings, we wanted to see the Gators take the series and help us create some more separation. That happened, and Carolina now sits alone atop the Eastern Division with a one game lead on UK, two games on UF. We're tied with LSU for the overall league lead, but with the Tigers coming to Columbia soon, we'll have a chance to control the outcome of that race. The Gamecocks are in excellent position to get a day-one bye in the SEC Tournament, as well as to earn a national seed, which should happen regardless of whether or not we win the LSU series. The team is doing it in unconventional ways, but the end result is the same; this team is winning games at the rate you'd expect for a solid Omaha contender.

I got together with the good folks at Windy City Gridiron, the Chicago Bears SBN community, to chat about Alshon Jeffery. Here are their answers to my questions, to be followed with a link to my answers to their questions.

1) As you know, Alshon Jeffery was a hot topic leading up to the draft, with many divided over whether he is an elite prospect or a risk due to conditioning / work ethic issues. What is the general feeling among Bears fans about Jeffery? Are you guys happy to have him, or are you worry you wasted a pick?

Our message boards were split on him. Before his weight issues really came to light he was being considered by our readers as a potential pick in the 1st round. After the reports of him playing at 230-240 and after the pic of him with the paunchy belly started floating around fans soured on him. But now that he's got his weight down, and appears to be focused on being a pro football player, most fans are excited to see him play with Jay Cutler.

2) Tell us a little bit about your depth at WR. What are Jeffery's chances of seeing the field regularly in his rookie season?

If it were up to me, I'd pencil him in as a starter with Brandon Marshall right now. But I figure the Bears will bring him along slowly. The Bears have Marshall, Earl Bennett, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Devin Hester returning. Johnny Knox will start out on the PUP list, and they also went out and signed Eric Weems and Devin Thomas, but those two are more for special teams depth. My best guess is that Jeffery will eventually be starting with Marshall, and they'll use Bennett as the primary slot guy with Hester seeing time in a few packages.

3) On a related note, granting that the perceived work ethic issues never really become a concern, there's been a lot of discussion regarding whether Jeffery has the ability to be a dominant first-option or if he's going to be more of a possession and red-zone receiver. Where does Jeffery come in? What kind of skill set was your team looking for in drafting him? What kind of offense are you seeking to run and how does he fit in?

Chicago has long needed a bigger target for Jay Cutler. They addressed that with the trade for Marshall, and getting Jeffery is icing on the cake. With Mike Tice now running the offense I'd expect the Bears to roll Cutler out a bit more than last year, and for them to look to exploit the match-up problems their new found size at WR will bring defenses. Both players are very good at overpowering smaller corners, so I expect the Bears to audible (audibling is something the Bears didn't do last year) to find the mismatches. Jeffery's size and hands should endear him to Bears fans.

Chat here about baseball. Go 'Cocks!

South Carolina (34-11, 14-7) travels to Pig-ville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (33-13, 11-10) this weekend. This is a big series for Carolina. The Gamecocks have won five straight SEC series and 11 straight games, and we are currently tied for first in the SEC, along with LSU and Kentucky. However, a lot of our success lately has come at the hands of average competition, with the sweep over Mississippi St. being the only series victory that looks particularly impressive in hindsight. A visit to Fayetteville is a task of a different order. The Hogs are a very solid team and are coming off a series victory in Gainesville. They're also typically a formidable team at home. Taking two of three this weekend would prove that the Gamecocks aren't just good; it would prove they're capable of another big post-season run.

Pitching-wise, here's what's in store:

Friday
South Carolina Michael Roth (Sr. LHP) 4-0, 2.57 ERA, 73.2 IP, 18 BB, 60 SO
Arkansas Ryne Stanek (So. RHP) 6-3, 2.52 ERA, 64.1 IP, 21 BB, 60 SO

Saturday
South Carolina Jordan Montgomery (Fr. LHP) 4-0, 3.47 ERA, 46.2 IP, 6 BB, 35 SO
Arkansas Randall Fant (Jr. LHP) 2-2, 4.05 ERA, 33.1 IP, 5 BB, 27 SO

Sunday
South Carolina TBA
Arkansas DJ Baxendale (Jr. RHP) 6-2, 3.47 ERA, 59.2 IP, 14 BB, 51 SO

The Friday night match-up should be an epic duel between two of the conference's best. Saturday night is more of a mixed bag. Arkansas's Fant has struggled at times this year. Montgomery, for his part, looked good for his first few starts, but he got hit hard against Alabama last weekend, although poor fielding didn't help him in that game. He needs to bounce back Saturday. Then, of course, the big question this weekend is Sunday. Colby Holmes is still out with a "burst vessel" (HT wilmywoodcock). Patrick Sullivan threw in his place last weekend, and while he didn't get roughed up, he wasn't pitching on Holmes's usual level. Sullivan may throw again, but Ray Tanner may also go to Nolan Belcher (pitching very well of late), Evan Beal (also getting better as the season progresses), Adam Westmoreland, or even Matt Price if he's fresh. Forrest Koumas is also available. Whatever the case may be, getting a good performance out of whoever we go to on Sunday is going to be instrumental this weekend.

Offensively, the Gamecocks need to continue doing what they've been doing in recent SEC series. Even if we're oftentimes facing one of the opponent's best pitchers, I continue to be a bit confused that we have such lackluster hitting in mid-week games. However, Carolina has hit the ball well in SEC play of late, with it being quite striking how guys like L.B. Dantzler who struggle in mid-week games get clutch and hit the ball all around the ballpark against our league foes. Christian Walker, whose presence was missed against Davidson, should be back, which will also help.

In sum, this series comes down to three things: Which team gets the clutch hits in a likely low-scoring Friday game? Can Montgomery get it back on track? Does the Sunday starter and a possible ensemble relief performance shut down the Hogs? If we can get two of those three, we should be able to take this series and solidify our standing as a top-five team.

This site has become less frequently referenced in recent years, possibly because many of its Heismandments have been proven false as the award has evolved (they now feature a bunch of caveats reflecting various exceptions that have arisen). However, the site is still a pretty good resource for Heisman discussion. It's just released its first 2012 watch list, and Marcus Lattimore made the cut:

Tavon Austin, Sr., AP, West Virginia

Montee Ball, Sr., RB, Wisconsin

Matt Barkley, Sr., QB, USC

Tajh Boyd, Jr., QB, Clemson

Tyler Bray, Jr., QB, Tennessee

Knile Davis, Jr., RB, Arkansas

James Franklin, Jr., QB, Missouri

Landry Jones, Sr., QB, Oklahoma

Collin Klein, Sr., QB, Kansas State

Marcus Lattimore, Jr., RB, South Carolina

Aaron Murray, Jr., QB, Georgia

Keith Price, Jr., QB, Washington

Denard Robinson, Sr., QB, Michigan

Geno Smith, Sr., QB, West Virginia

De’Anthony Thomas, So., RB, Oregon

Sammy Watkins, So, WR, Clemson

Tyler Wilson, Sr., QB, Arkansas

Cierre Wood, Sr., RB, Notre Dame

Discussion after the jump.

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In the aftermath of the NFL Draft, a handful of prognosticators have released 2013 mocks. Of course, mocking a draft a year out is always a dicey affair, as we recently learned via one of our own. However, we're sports fans, and we tend to obsess over these things.

Our own Marcus Lattimore is featured among the top picks in most of these mocks, usually the first RB off the board. This mock has him going 13th to the Cincinnati Bengals, and it had this to say about him:

I can't believe the best running back the Bengals came out with in the 2012 NFL Draft was Dan Herron. I can't imagine that Herron and BenJarvus Green-Ellis will give opposing defensive coordinators sleepless nights.

Cincinnati will be all over Marcus Lattimore if the team can get him next April.

Some of the others I've seen also have him going to Cinci; the missing link in the Bengals offense is the runningback, and a lot of people were surprised that they didn't take one this past go around.

There are a couple of questions with Lattimore and the NFL, of course. First of all, he has to prove that he can come back from his knee injury. Based on current film, he looks like a prototype NFL back; he's fast enough, big enough, explosive enough, smart enough, etc. He even catches the ball more or less as well as a wide receiver. However, if he comes back a step slow or without some of his agility, his stock may drop, even if it's fair to say that another year of rehab would almost certainly have him back to normal. There's also the possibility that a couple of other RBs will emerge who don't have the same issues.

The other issue is whether he declares or not. That could have a lot to do with what kind of season he has. If he has a good one, he'll have a tough decision to make. He's hinted before that he might consider staying all four years, but one has to wonder if he'll be willing to make that decision when the time comes. Having endured his fair share of injuries, you have to think he knows what he'd be risking, and the risks are particularly compelling to RBs, who tend to get hurt a good bit and who have a limited shelf life in the league. I would never begrudge a potential first-round pick who left early, but that would be particularly true with Lattimore, who has earned the right to do just about whatever he wants. The guy has just given so much to the program.

Other than Lattimore, I haven't seen any other Gamecocks in the first-round mocks. The other guy to watch out for, though, is Devin Taylor. Taylor was considered a potential early-departure first-rounder going into 2011, but a somewhat statistically underwhelming season caused his stock to drop a bit, and he decided to stay for his senior season. (Wise choice, Devin.) However, a lot of Devin's drop-off in production owed to him getting a lot of attention from opposing blocking schemes, and that focus may shift to Jadeveon Clowney this year. That's going to open things up for Taylor, who may be prepped for his best season yet. With guys like LSU's Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo among the likely early DE draftees, it may be hard for Taylor to move too far up the board, but I could definitely see him going in the first if he has a really great year. Everything is there that a team could want.

Past Taylor, I don't see any other likely 2013 first-rounders on our roster. DeVonte Holloman and D.J. Swearinger jump out as fairly likely mid- to late-round picks, and then there are a few other guys who might stand to do the same. However, I'm not sure how confident I am that we'll have six taken again. What do you guys think?

1. Kentucky Wildcats (36-9 / 14-7)

Yes, Kentucky showed some chinks in its armor with a series loss to lowly Vanderbilt, not to mention a very ugly mid-week pounding at the hands of Louisville. The 'Cats, though, still maintain the league's best overall body of work, so it's going to take more than one bad week for me to drop them from their perch.

2. LSU Tigers (35-10 / 14-7)

While Kentucky, in my mind, is definitely the top dog (or cat, as it may be), things are getting increasingly murky from 2-4. LSU seems like a solid number 2; outside of a series loss to Kentucky, they've been very solid since what now looks like an unexplainable series loss to Auburn early on. However, they haven't created as much separation as Kentucky has, and a trip to Columbia to close out the season is increasingly looking like gut-check time for this team.

3. Florida Gators (33-12 / 12-9)

Here's where it gets tougher. At 3, do you go with Florida, a team with a worse record but a tougher schedule thus far and a head-to-head road victory over South Carolina, or do you go with the Gamecocks, who have the better record but have done it by feasting on the league's bottom tier and lost the series to the Gators in Columbia? For now, I'm going with Florida--but there's no doubt that this ultra-talented team has looked increasingly vulnerable in recent weeks.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks (31-11 / 14-7)

The Gamecocks have a good argument for inclusion among the league's top three, but I really want to see this team win the series in Fayetteville before I push them up the ladder. The record looks fantastic, but it's hard not to attribute it at least partially to the soft mid-season slate.

5. Arkansas Razorbacks (31-13 / 11-10)

The Hogs gained some separation from the mid-pack teams with its big series win at Florida. They gave up only four runs over the weekend. Think that has Gamecocks fans worried about this coming weekend?

6. Mississippi Rebels (28-16 / 10-11)

One of the hardest teams to figure out, the Rebels have taken a feast-or-famine approach to the season, seeming to the turn the corner one week and to take a huge step back the next. Even with their unpredictable nature, though, you have to like their overall body of work a bit more than some of the teams below them.

7. Mississippi St. Bulldogs (27-17 / 10-11)

Here's where things start to get confusing again. Mississippi St. once looked like a team you could leave for dead after the pounding they took at the hands of South Carolina, but they're now fresh off a sweep of Tennessee and a 2-1 series victory over Ole Miss. Of course, a final two weeks featuring a road trip to Florida and a home series against Kentucky may make it difficult for them to finish above .500 in the conference.

8. Georgia Bulldogs (25-20 / 9-12)

This team can't seem to catch a break. Lots of very close, what-could-have-been losses on the year, including some in what could have been season-changing series wins. A talented team, though, and one that has a chance to make some noise down the stretch if it can maintain its focus.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores (21-23 / 9-12)

I had kind of given up on Vandy ever getting it together this year, but a series win over Kentucky proves that this team still has some bite. It needs a big finish to the season to carry it into the SEC Tournament.

10. Auburn Tigers (25-19 / 10-11)

Auburn took an important step towards earning its spot in the SEC Tournament by sweeping Tennessee over the weekend. Tough schedule down the stretch, though, and I could easily see them finishing outside the top 10.

11. Tennessee Volunteers (22-22 / 7-14)

There was a point in the year when I thought that maybe Tennessee baseball was going to have a breakthrough season. After being swept two straight weekends, the last by a combined score of 35-12 to Auburn, it's time to say, "wait till next year."

12. Alabama Crimson Tide (17-28 / 6-15)

17-28? Is it football season yet?

The first two were dramatic. The last one was a beatdown. In the end, the Gamecocks captured their third straight SEC sweep by winning three against Alabama at Carolina Stadium.

The games really were strikingly different. Game one was a pitchers' duel that was ended in the eighth inning Thursday night by a rain delay; Adam Matthews would blast the first pitch of the resumed game Friday afternoon for what would be a game-winning HR, Carolina winning 1-0. The Gamecocks struggled at the plate in this game (Matthews's bomb was our only hit). Game Two was a wild affair. Jordan Montgomery's streak of strong starts ended, with the young pitcher giving up 10 runs (although only six earned) in his five innings of work. Fortunately, his batters would bail him out, with Sean Sullivan hitting a walk-off single to give the 'Cocks a 12-11 victory. Sunday was all Carolina. Tanner chose to go with Patrick Sullivan as the starter in place of an injured Colby Holmes, and Sullivan pitched magnificently, with Nolan Belcher also doing a great job in middle relief. Carolina would win 9-1.

South Carolina (33-11, 14-7) is now, believe it or not, only a half game behind Kentucky for the lead in the East, and with the 'Cats taking on Vanderbilt this afternoon, there is a chance--although maybe not a good one--that we'll end the weekend tied for first place. Who would have thought it after the first two series of the season?

After Stephon Gilmore and Melvin Ingram were taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, several other Gamecocks had their names called in the later rounds. Alshon Jeffery was taken in the second round by the Chicago Bears, Rokevious Watkins in the fifth round by the St. Louis Rams, Antonio Allen in the seventh by the New York Jets, and Travian Robertson towards the end of the seventh round by the Atlanta Falcons. Some Gamecocks were picked up in free agency, with Marty Markett going to the Falcons, C.C. Whitlock to the Minnesota Vikings, and Jason Barnes to the San Diego Chargers. There have been the inevitable message-board rumors regarding Stephen Garcia being picked up in free agency, but I haven't seen anything concrete on that, although it certainly wouldn't surprise me if SG5 got a tryout or two.

The biggest surprise, needless to say, was that Allen fell so far. I'm still scratching my head at his descent. He was widely considered, including by ESPN Draftniks Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, to be one of the top five safeties available. Many thought he would go in the third round, maybe even the second if he really caught somebody's eye. However, he fell all the way to the seventh. My only guess is that teams were a bit wary of a projected safety who didn't actually play safety at the college level, but I thought his workouts proved that he has the physical tools, and he proved on the field that he was capable of learning new positions with ease. The good news for Allen is that he'll likely get a chance not only to play but to start for the Jets, who need safeties. The bad news is that he has to play for the Jets.

More generally, the good news is that six Gamecocks were taken for the second time in Spurrier's tenure. The first was in 2009, and what's changed since then is that now we had some guys go in the early rounds, too. This is a testament to the way Spurrier has improved the talent in Columbia since he arrived, and it will be useful recruiting ammunition we seek out the next generation of contributors.