Observations and insights from South Carolina preseason practice No. 9

A day after the first scrimmage of the preseason, South Carolina football hit the practice field late on Sunday morning.

The GamecockCentral team was there and had an opportunity to observe warmups plus the first six periods.

Below are some observations from on the ground in Columbia.

— “Good to see you back out here, Dre!”

That message was delivered loud and clear from Shane Beamer to wideout Vandrevius Jacobs after a nice catch in the one-on-one period.

The FSU transfer has created some substantial buzz since arriving this summer, but has missed some practice time and sat out of Saturday’s scrimmage. Earlier in the day, he was spotted working on returning punts. He then had the aforementioned nice route and catch in a red zone one-on-one period that drew the praise from Beamer.

Even though he did not participate in spring ball for South Carolina, Jacobs had quickly asserted himself as a major factor in a competitive battle for playing time among the pass-catchers.

— One player that we have continued to hear talk about behind the scenes is freshman tight end Michael Smith. He’s a physical specimen with freaky athletic traits, and despite some veteran presences on the roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Smith proved himself worthy of playing in 2024.

Everyone watched as Smith lined up for a one-on-one against Nick Emmanwori, and he ran a great route and caught a ball in the back of the end zone.

“That’s elite,” one staffer told Smith after the catch.

— Vicari Swain closed out the one-on-one period with a really nice coverage rep that drew some positive comments from Beamer.

— A few of the periods that the media were able to see were dedicated to special teams, whether it was continuing to audition a bunch of players catching kicks and punts, or working drills and techniques.

— Freshman Wendell Gregory was spotted working out with Sterling Lucas and the EDGE group in drills.

— Running back Bradley Dunn, defensive back Jalewis Solomon, offensive linemen Markee Anderson and Jakai Moore, and tight end Reid Mikeska were working off to the side with the strength staff during practice today.

— While the one-on-ones were going on between defensive backs and receivers, other members of the team worked an inside drill of sorts that featured a quarterback, running back, three linemen, and a tight end against multiple defenders.

It appeared to be a way for both sides of the ball to work on executing interior runs or defending it.

— It was our most substantive opportunity to watch the quarterbacks throw to the receivers on Sunday, even if a couple of the periods were just “on air.”

Transfer Dalevon Campbell really looks the part in terms of his stature, and he can run as well.

Freshman Mazeo Bennett, who should play a lot this season, continues to look incredibly solid running routes and catching everything thrown his way.

— The team has a day off on Monday and will return to the practice fields on Tuesday morning.

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