David Williams

Williams has been largely buried on the depth chart for his first two seasons in Columbia, but with Brandon Wilds moving onto the NFL, he will finally get his shot to be the Gamecocks’ featured back this year. He had trouble finding room to run last year in limited action, averaging a meager 3.48 YPC over 86 carries, but his 5.69 YPC mark as a redshirt freshman suggests that the talent is there. What’s more, South Carolina’s offense as a whole was a mess in 2015, but a new coaching staff should give the unit a fresh start. With South Carolina likely breaking in a freshman quarterback as its starter, the coaching staff will likely turn to Williams early and often to take the pressure off the young signal caller. South Carolina also had injuries all over the offensive line last season, but that resulted in young players gaining valuable experience. An improved offensive line in an improved offense should pay dividends for Williams as he takes over as the featured back, though the general theme with the South Carolina offense will likely remain dysfunction.