Back in April, we mentioned an intriguing idea to Gamecocks fans on The Insiders Forum:<\/p>\n
What about former high school quarterback Kamron Sandlin<\/a><\/strong> getting a look in the backfield, if another option was needed?<\/p>\n It was said again this month<\/a>, particularly in light of the fact that USC had not had any fortune in the transfer portal.<\/p>\n We can also now say that the concept of giving Sandlin a look \u2013 although not a sure thing by any means then \u2013 had been at least bandied about in the football operations building.<\/p>\n When Sandlin committed to South Carolina last summer, the staff told him that they wanted to use him like Jaheim Bell, moving him around to different spots.<\/p>\n [Get South Carolina football news and analysis via email]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Bell, of course, ended up being USC\u2019s second-leading rusher during the 2022 season.<\/p>\n When Dowell Loggains was hired as the Gamecocks\u2019 new offensive coordinator, in December, he mapped out to Sandlin during an official visit how he wanted to use him as a wildcat quarterback. <\/p>\n The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is plenty comfortable with carrying the football, which one can see by turning on the tape from his career at Anniston High.<\/p>\n South Carolina pursued Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs this offseason, who ended up committing to LSU. NC State\u2019s Demie Sumo-Karngbaye pledged to Kentucky after USC circled back.<\/p>\n The Gamecocks do not have any additional offers out to players already in the portal. Graduates can still jump in at any time, but there have not been any additions on that front that jump out, either.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not as worried about the running back position as maybe the outside narrative is. Do I wish we had more? Yeah, absolutely,\u201d Shane Beamer said on Monday night during a Welcome Home Tour stop in Florence. \u201cIt\u2019s not Armageddon in our building because we didn\u2019t get a transfer running back.\u201d<\/p>\n USC returns JuJu McDowell, moved Dakereon Joyner this spring to the running back position full time, and brought in Newberry\u2019s Mario Anderson as a pre-spring transfer. Four-star freshman DJ Braswell will join the program this summer.<\/p>\n Beamer has pointed out more than once that the Gamecocks will rely on receivers like Ahmarean Brown, Xavier Legette, and Juice Wells, too, whether that\u2019s on sweeps or screens and bubbles that are basically extensions of the run game.<\/p>\n That said, the third-year head coach wants his program to find more solutions there.<\/p>\n [Subscribe for free to GamecockCentral\u2019s YouTube page!]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be creative and get the ball in different people\u2019s hands. You can generate runs with different people,\u201d he explained. \u201cThere\u2019s no question, we need more depth at the running back position. We\u2019ve got to be able to line up and run the ball downhill, without a doubt. Other players on the team have to be able to help us generate some runs.\u201d<\/p>\n Beamer hinted on Monday that the staff could look toward the 2023 class for additional ball-carrying help.<\/p>\n \u201cAre there some incoming freshmen coming in that have experience with the ball in their hands, playing different positions? Sure,\u201d Beamer answered. \u201cII think you\u2019ve got to keep your options open, evaluate guys when they get there and see what they can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Out of those candidates, Sandlin seems to make a lot of sense. Other players set to enroll this summer with ball skills are more true \u201creceivers\u201d, and two-way standout Vicari Swain is ticketed to begin his career as a defensive back.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t know yet that Sandlin will definitely be in the backfield in year one, but it does make a lot of sense. An interesting idea could ultimately become a reality.<\/p>\nDiscuss South Carolina Gamecocks football on The Insiders Forum!<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n