Gamecocks Football Ranks High in SI’s Post-Spring Top 25

Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated has released his “Post-Spring Top 25” and have the South Carolina Gamecocks at No. 7.

Seems about right in our view given the Gamecocks 11-win season last year combined with a number of starters returning.

Here is what Andy Staples wrote about USC:

Key returnees: DE Jadeveon Clowney, DE Devin Taylor, RB Marcus Lattimore, QB Connor Shaw, LB Shaq Wilson
Key losses: DE Melvin Ingram, CB Stephon Gilmore, WR Alshon Jeffery, OG Rokevious Watkins
Spring star: WR Damiere Byrd
When I visited Columbia in March, the most important action at practice took place on the sidelines, where Lattimore was working to rehabilitate his surgically repaired knee. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier seems confident Lattimore will come back 100 percent by the time South Carolina opens at Vanderbilt. If that’s the case, expect Spurrier’s commitment to a run-first offense to continue.
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He is right when he writes that USC will be looking to run first in 2012. The Gamecocks are loaded at tailback and having Marcus Lattimore, well he is a game-changer.

There are six SEC teams in his Top 25.