South Carolina Gamecocks Football: 7 Players Who Are Key to 2011 Season

The South Carolina Gamecocks football team is absolutely loaded for the 2011 season and I am a full believer in this team.

In fact, if you read an early piece by me you’d know that I think this Steve Spurrier-led team will win the SEC championship and play for the national title.

The Gamecocks are loaded offensively, and they have even more talent defensively.

Here are the seven players who are key to USC’s success this year.

7. Travian Robertson

Robertson (42 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for loss) is the Gamecocks' best defensive tackle and an absolute beast in the middle.

At 6’4” and 298 pounds, Robertson is absolutely huge and has NFL size.

Robertson enters his senior season as a potential all-conference player and maybe even an All-American player.

The Gamecocks do have depth at the D-line, but they will need Robertson’s presence and leadership if they want to win the SEC and the national championship.

6. Devin Taylor

Taylor is another great defensive lineman for the Gamecocks. In 2010, Taylor recorded 46 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.

Taylor probably is the best defensive lineman in the SEC and is a terror on the edge rushing the quarterback. For 2011, Taylor will have to share his stats with two other phenomenal linemen, but I still expect an All-SEC year again.

5. Stephon Gilmore

With South Carolina’s other cornerback, Akeem Auguste, battling a nagging ankle injury, Gilmore’s importance got even bigger.

The Gamecocks are loaded in the defensive backfield (arguably the best secondary in the country), but injuries could be a major blow to the 2011 season.

Last season Gilmore led the team in tackles with 79; the Gamecocks need another big year out of him.

4. Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney was the consensus No. 1 high school player from the 2011 recruiting class.

The “Ole’ Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier was able to once again keep the state of South Carolina’s best prospect near home and playing with the Gamecocks.

Some expect Clowney to be an All-SEC player as a true freshman.

It’s not out of the range of possibility, and USC could definitely use him for a national title run.

3. Alshon Jeffery

Jeffery (1,517 yards receiving, nine TDs) is one of the top three receivers in the country with Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon and Oklahoma’s Ryan Broyles.

The Gamecocks don’t have another threat like Jeffery at receiver, and losing him would be catastrophic. I expect another huge year from Jeffery, similar to Michael Crabtree’s final season with Texas Tech a few seasons back.

2. Stephen Garcia

If Garcia (3,059 yards passing, 20 TDs) could just stay out of trouble, I think voters would have more faith in the Gamecocks and therefore vote them higher.

It’s well known that a stable quarterback is the most important position to have security in at any level of football.

Garcia is a top 10 quarterback if he wants to be, and the USC season could hinder on his ability to not make bad decisions in and out of football.

(Note: The Gamecocks do have a decent backup in sophomore Connor Shaw.)

1. Marcus Lattimore

While Steve Spurrier would much rather have a solid pass game, it’s his running back that could lead the Gamecocks to New Orleans.

Behind LaMichael James of Oregon, Lattimore (1,609 total yards, 19 TDs) is probably the second best running back in the country (close with Alabama’s Trent Richardson).

Lattimore could be a Heisman Trophy winner, Doak Walker Award winner (awarded to the nation's best running back) and national title winner. That’s some nice hardware.