Three under-the-radar pieces who could make the South Carolina offense go in 2022
South Carolina’s offense underwent a makeover following the 2021 season.
Former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler is the headliner, but the Gamecocks got plenty of other help from the transfer portal. They’ll also bring back five starters along the offensive line and three others in tight end Jaheim Bell and receivers Josh Vann and Dakereon Joyner.
So how can South Carolina and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield take a step forward this year? Here are three under-the-radar players who could make all the difference:
Jovaughn Gwyn, RG
Offensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve, and Gwyn is no exception.
The North Carolina native is the picture of a Southeastern Conference offensive lineman. He’s 6-foot-2, 302 pounds and nimble enough to maneuver around the second level of a defense when necessary.
Gwyn is entering his fifth year in the program and figures to be the anchor of an offensive line that was far from efficient in 2021. He rated tops of the three guards the Gamecocks employed last year in total offensive grade, pass blocking and run blocking by Pro Football Focus. The hope is he can keep that form.
Head coach Shane Beamer said earlier this month Gwyn had as close to a “perfect” offseason as one could have. That only figures to help his play improve from last year.
The Gamecocks have to do a better job up front. If Gwyn takes a step forward, that only stands to help the line and the rest of the offense.
Dakereon Joyner, WR
Take the Duke’s Mayo Bowl performance out and Dakereon Joyner’s full season stat line included 24 catches for 224 yards, one touchdown and eight rushes for 13 yards.
That’s, well, not much to write home about.
Joyner’s transition from quarterback to receiver is well-documented. He came to South Carolina as a prolific quarterback recruit, but has bounced between the two positions during his career in Columbia.
This should be his second full season at the receiver position, which, in theory, suggests there should be growth there. It’s expected Joyner will also get some run at quarterback in a handful of wildcat packages given his top-end athleticism.
Joyner doesn’t have to be the go-to guy in 2022. The Gamecocks have plenty of options between Vann, Bell and transfers Corey Rucker and Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. But if he can be slightly more productive than he was a year ago, that stands to add a whole other dynamic to this unit.
Austin Stogner, TE
Rattler draws most of the headlines out of South Carolina’s transfers, but Austin Stogner may well be the most important addition on a couple different levels.
For one, Stogner is a big part of the reason Rattler even considered and, eventually, landed in Columbia. He also picked USC over offers from Ohio State and Iowa State this offseason. That’s a coup for Beamer and his staff.
Stogner faced a severe infection at the end of the 2020 season and never quite found his pre-injury form in 2021. He’s a guy that folks in NFL circles think plenty of — ESPN’s Todd McShay rated him the No. 12 tight end in this year’s draft class.
If he looks the part of a future pro alongside Bell and a loaded South Carolina receiving corps, the Gamecocks could be a matchup nightmare.
This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Three under-the-radar pieces who could make the South Carolina offense go in 2022."
