South Carolina football season preview 2020: Record predictions, depth chart analysis, breakout players

Who will take a big leap forward for South Carolina football this season?

Even though South Carolina is projected to be a bottom-feeder in the SEC this year, that also leaves open areas where they can improve throughout the season, as well as a handful of breakout starts. Last year saw Ryan Hilinski make the most of his opportunities to start at quarterback. Though Collin Hill may play some, it’s Hilinski’s job going forward in Columbia.

With marquee players such as defensive end Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Bryan Edwards now playing in the NFL, let’s take a look at some of the guys most likely to break out in a big way for South Carolina football. It’s a combination of talent and opportunity for all three of these players. Look for any of them to become household names in the SEC after this season.

The passing game will be a strength for this South Carolina offense. Hilinski is back as the starter and will be poised to move the sticks in Mike Bobo’s offense. Though he has a few upperclassmen ahead of him on the depth chart, look for freshman wide receiver Mike Wyman to take advantage of the situation ahead of him. He could be the next great South Carolina wideout.

Playing against stiffer competition this year and in the midst of a global pandemic, there is a chance Wyman could see more playing time than otherwise expected. Though he wouldn’t be the first true freshman wideout to make some noise in the SEC, Wyman could be the one to best exemplify that this year. He and Hilinski may make each other so much better as the year goes on.

Losing Kinlaw to the 2020 NFL Draft does hurt South Carolina, but you can’t reasonably expect a player of that caliber to stay around forever. Fortunately for the Gamecocks, they should be especially feisty in the trenches. One player who is ready to have his breakout season is defensive tackle Zacch Pickens.

As with Lloyd and a guy will get to here in a second, Pickens was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school. With another season under his belt and an opportunity to stand out now that Kinlaw is out of the picture, look for Pickens to make the most of this incredible 2020 college football season. Iron will sharpen iron, so look for him to be especially menacing come 2021.

And of course, how could we forget about Jordan Burch? He’s the biggest name to commit to South Carolina since Jadeveon Clowney. While the hometown kid may be compared to the former No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft, let’s take a step back, breathe and see what this top-10 recruit is all about. Surely, we’re going to like what we see.

Playing alongside Pickens and behind senior Aaron Sterling in the trenches, look for Burch to look like he’s been playing in the SEC for years by the end of his true freshman season. If he can really start to contribute after the Gamecocks’ bye week, then South Carolina may very well have a chance at going .500 and allowing Will Muschamp to get a sixth year leading this program.

Ultimately, much of what South Carolina’s season will hinge on is the ascension of underclassmen, not letting lengthy losing streaks occur and never give up. Even though they’re projected to be no better than the fifth-place team in the SEC East, this is the strangest year of our lives so anything can happen. That’s not to say they’ll get to Atlanta, but South Carolina did beat Georgia last year.

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