South Carolina Football 2012: Breaking Down Spring Practice

South Carolina had a fantastic season last year finishing with an 11-2 record. What made that season even greater is that Heisman candidate running back Marcus Lattimore missed a majority of the season and starting quarterback Stephen Garcia was dismissed from the team.

Who would have thought if you lose two key players on offense, your team could end up playing even better?

This season, the Gamecocks look to improve on that record and be a force once again in the SEC. They return a total of 14 starters and should have a healthy Marcus Lattimore back at running back. As they begin to prepare for next season, it all starts with the practices in the spring. The Gamecocks first practice takes place on March 13 and the spring game will take place April 14.

That doesn't leave us much time, here's everything you need to know about South Carolina and their spring ball.

Schedule

Dates and times are subject to change.

Practice No. 1: Tuesday, March 13, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 2: Thursday, March 15, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 3: Friday, March 16, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 4: Tuesday, March 20, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 5: Thursday, March 22, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 6: Friday, March 23, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 7: Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m.
Practice No. 8: Tuesday, March 27, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 9: Friday, March 30, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 10: Saturday, March 31, 10 a.m.
Practice No. 11: Tuesday, April 3, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 12: Friday, April 6, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 13: Saturday, April 7, 10 a.m.
Practice No. 14: Thursday, April 12, 4:15 p.m.
Practice No. 15: Saturday, April 14 (Garnet & Black Spring Game), 1 p.m.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: Connor Shaw, Dylan Thompson

Fullback: Dalton Wilson

Running Back: Marcus Lattimore, Brandon Wilds

Wide Receiver: Ace Sanders, Nick Jones

Wide Receiver: Bruce Ellington, DeAngelo Smith, Damiere Byrd

Tight End: Justice Cunningham, Rory Anderson

Offensive Tackle: Cody Gibson, Brock Stadnik

Offensive Guard: A.J. Cann, Kyle Harris

Center: T.J. Johnson, Ronald Patrick

Offensive Guard: Joe Harris, Kaleb Broome

Offensive Tackle: Brandon Shell, Mike Matulis

Defensive Depth Chart

Defensive End:  Jadeveon Clowney, Chaz Sutton

Defensive Tackle: Deon Green, Philip Dukes

Defensive Tackle: Kelcy Quarles, Gerald Dixon

Defensive End: Devin Taylor, Aldrick Fordham

Strong Side Linebacker: DeVonte Holloman, Damario Jeffery

Middle Linebacker: Shaq Wilson, Cedrick Cooper

Weakside Linebacker: Quin Smith, Reginald Bowens

Cornerback: Akeem Auguste, Ahmad Christian

Cornerback: Victor Hampton, Jimmy Legree

Strong Safety: Devonte Hollman, Brison Williams

Free Safety: D.J. Swearinger, Jimmy Legree

Best Position Battle

Besides Alshon Jefferey, no receiver on this team had over 30 receptions. Now that Jefferey has taken his talents to the NFL, receivers are going to need to step up in order for this offense to get clicking. Junior Ace Sanders should get a lot of action considering he was the second leading receiver last year with 29 receptions for 383 yards.

Shamier Jefferey who is Alshon's little brother should see the field this year as well and, if he's anything like his older brother, we're in for a treat.

The main receiver that must step it up this season is Damiere Byrd who could really make a name for himself this season. He's a very versatile player and has the speed to really spread this offense and help take it to the next level.

South Carolina has talent at the wide receiver position, just need players to step up.

Big Man on Campus

Marcus Lattimore missed half of last season with a season ending knee injury, but he remains the big man on campus for this team. We're talking about a Heisman candidate here who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2010 and scored 19 total touchdowns.

If he's healthy and fully recovered from his surgery, he'll once again be the heart and soul of this offense. With questions at the wide receiver position and a young quarterback, this offense may go as far as Lattimore takes it.

Biggest Shoes to Fill

Although Alshon Jefferey didn't have the season we all witnessed in 2010, he was still the main focus for every defense the Gamecocks played. He was a huge target at 6'4" and caused fits for opposing defenses.

Now Ace Sanders has the privilege of trying to replace him and the 183 catches, 3,042 yards and 23 receiving touchdowns.  The speedy Sanders has been a consistent player his first two seasons as he has 54 catches for 699 yards, but he'll need to double that production to get this offense going.

With questions at running back and the lack of experience at the receiver position, it will be up to Sanders to step up and help fill that void.

Most Important Questions to Answer

What Connor Shaw did last season for South Carolina was one of the best stories in the country last year. He came off the bench and helped lead the Gamecocks to an 11-2 record when Garcia was dismissed from the team. He completed a solid 65 percent of his passes and threw for 14 touchdowns.

Now the question is just how will he develop? He still has to work on his passing skills as he threw at least one interception in five straight games.

Probably the key question that everyone wants to know the answer to is the health of Marcus Lattimore. Like we talked about in the slides earlier, he is a huge part of this offense and, if he's healthy, it could pay dividends for the Gamecocks season. If he's not 100 percent, well, South Carolina has another question on the offensive side of the ball.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].