South Carolina Football: What You Need to Know About Marcus Lattimore's Backups

South Carolina is ready for the return of Marcus Lattimore. 

The Gamecocks' star running back had his 2011 season cut short due to knee injury during the Mississippi State game. South Carolina was able to overcome the loss of Lattimore and finished with a school-record 11 wins for the 2011 season. 

A big reason for the Gamecocks' success was the play of the backups behind Marcus Lattimore.

The main players to step up behind Lattimore were freshman Brandon Wilds and junior Kenny Miles. Each player had his moments when it mattered most. 

The Gamecocks return Lattimore, Wilds, Miles and a few others for the 2012 season in what may be the most loaded backfield in Carolina history. 

Here's a look at a few things to know about the backups to Marcus Lattimore. 

No. 1: Kenny Miles

Kenny Miles hasn't had many opportunities with Marcus Lattimore on campus. 

However, it hasn't deterred the rising senior to perform in moments when Lattimore wasn't able to play for the Gamecocks.

In the 2010 Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Miles rushed 70 yards on 10 carries. Last year, Miles rushed for 71 yards against Clemson and 67 yards in the Capital One Bowl. 

Miles is the veteran presence who works hard and does the right thing for the Gamecocks in the backfield. He's not a player who will impress you with physical skills, but he somehow manages to pick up much needed yardage in the tough situation. 

Having a player like Kenny Miles in the backfield can only help this team better with his all-around solid play. 

He should start out as the solid No. 2 option to Marcus Lattimore and, if he remains injury free, could see several carries a game when giving Lattimore a break. 

No. 2: Brandon Wilds

One of the more surprising performances of last season was the emergence of Brandon Wilds in the regular season. 

Wilds got his opportunity to play when Marcus Lattimore was lost to injury, and he didn't disappoint. In his first career start, he rushed for 137 yards on 28 carries on the road at Tennessee.

He also added 100-yard games against Florida and The Citadel towards the end of the season. 

Most people expected Wilds to redshirt due to players like Lattimore and Miles on the team, but injuries forced him into action. The young player performed extremely well. 

Brandon Wilds seems to play like a poor man's Marcus Lattimore. He's a guy who won't blow you away with incredible speed.

He's a North-South runner with good vision to make the right read on which hole to attack. He's got power in his frame at 6'2" and weighing 218 pounds. He also has good catching ability to be utilized out of the backfield in passing situations. 

Wilds provides a lot of value off the bench for the Gamecocks, and will battle for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. 

No. 3: Mike Davis

The Gamecocks were able to land one of the top running backs in the nation in the 2012 recruiting class—Mike Davis. 

Davis, the younger brother of former Clemson RB James Davis, was the highest-rated recruit signed by the Gamecocks, according to 247sports.com.

Some believe Davis will be the second most talented running back behind Marcus Lattimore this season. 

The talent is there with Mike Davis. 

Davis is a do-it-all running back at the next level. He's got a nice, compact frame at 5'11" and 195 pounds. He's able stay low to the ground and use his power to his advantage out of the backfield.

He's also got a nice burst of speed to hit the hole quickly and get to the next level. He won't run away from a defense, but he's got enough speed to pick up large chunks of yardage. 

There's a good chance Mike Davis will play in 2012. He's too good to redshirt this season and, as we saw last year, injuries can cause a lot of turnover at the running back position. 

South Carolina has a good one in Mike Davis, and he'll help bridge the gap when Marcus Lattimore heads to the NFL. 

No. 4: Shon Carson

Shon Carson had a lot of promise coming out of high school in 2011. He's one of just three players in the state of South Carolina to rush for over 100 touchdowns in the high school career.

He's also a standout baseball player. 

Carson was so impressive, he won the second team running back position behind Marcus Lattimore to start the season. Carson's year, however, was cut short due to a knee injury in the Georgia game. 

Carson brings a different skill set to the Gamecock backfield. He's the smaller, shifty running back with breakaway speed that runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.

He can change direction at will and is great in the open field. He's does everything you'd want for a speedy back, but does have the durability to take a big hit. 

South Carolina can use Carson out of the backfield, as he has nice hands and his vision in the open will enable him to limit his hits and gain the extra yardage. 

He'll definitely be an exciting player to watch this season, just to see how South Carolina utilizes him in the running back mix. 

No. 5: Kendric Salley

Kendric Salley was the first commitment of the 2012 signing class. He held strong on his commitment after committing to South Carolina in December 2010, and now is ready to make the jump up to the next level.

He knows he has an uphill battle for playing time in 2012, especially after suffering a knee injury during his senior year of high school. He's in the recovery process and has moved onto running and cutting, so he's covering well. 

While he's likely headed for a redshirt season. Salley can bring a lot to the table on the football field. He's got a good burst of speed to go along with a well-built frame for the college game.

He's got the weight already, being at 205 pounds, and runs hard fighting for the extra yards. 

A redshirt should benefit Salley. It will allow him to create some space between players like Mike Davis and Shon Carson.

But, he's a guy who could add solid depth down the line for South Carolina. 

No. 6: Joshua Blue

Everyone loves the walk-on.

South Carolina has Joshua Blue as its walk-on running back, and he is expected to add more depth to an already deep position. 

Blue is likely to never see the field at South Carolina—except in mop-up duty situations—but is a decent player in his own right.

He's got a small frame at 5'7" and weighing only 167 pounds, so speed and elusiveness are needed for Blue to make an impact. 

In this past Garnet and Black Spring Game, Blue had three carries for six yards and two catches for two yards. 

Players like this add value to the Gamecocks in a variety of ways, and Blue will help make the Gamecocks better on the practice fields.