SEC Football Top 150 Players: No. 105, Mike Matulis, South Carolina OT

The SEC Blog will be counting down the top 150 players in the SEC every day, concluding on Aug. 30 at the start of the college football regular season.

No. 105: Mike Matulis, No. 76, South Carolina, Offensive Tackle

2011 Stats: Started five games as a true freshman

Strengths

Matulis was on the verge of a redshirt last season, before an injury forced him into the starting lineup. He took the opportunity and ran with it. South Carolina's offense didn't drop off much after the injury to Marcus Lattimore, and the combination of Matulis and quarterback Connor Shaw was a big reason why. Getting meaningful playing time early will only help Matulis as his career progresses.

Weaknesses

He was thrown into the fire early, but he's still relatively inexperienced by college standards, so there will still be some speed bumps along the way. He's slated to start at right tackle, but sat out this spring after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, so the injury is something to monitor this summer.

2012 Prediction

Matulis is going to be a big part of the South Carolina offense in 2012. Quarterback Connor Shaw averaged 81.8 rushing yards per game in addition to his 184.5 yards per game average through the air. That was without running back Marcus Lattimore. With him back in the fold, expect the South Carolina offense to be very dynamic, which will put a lot of responsibility on Matulis and the rest of the Gamecock offensive line.

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