Media Day Impressions

Cockfather Illustrated was on hand for media day yesterday, and below will list some impressions about this years team, and more specifically about the players that caught our eye.

*Blake Mitchell has the respect of his teammates. Make no mistake about it, this is Blake Mitchell's team. Mitchell not only has the respect of his teammates, but appears to carry himself with more confidence than at anytime since he has been in Columbia. He is bigger physically, having gained about 15 pounds of muscle in the off season, and the red-shirt junior appears poised for a big season in his second season as the starting QB under Steve Spurrier.

*Syvelle Newton is ready to go. Not many people, including myself, believed that Newton would be able to play this season. It still remains to be seen if Newton will run with the same confidence, shiftiness, and bursts of speed he has been known for in his career at USC, but the senior is ready physically to prove that he is still the same player that has electrified crowds, and provided plenty of big plays in a Gamecock uniform.

*Marque Hall is back. Last season no player entered the 2005 season with more expectations that defensive tackle Marque Hall. But for Hall, and Gamecock fans, it was a disappointing season, as Hall was sick most of the pre-season and lost over 20 pounds and played most of the season at about 268 pounds. This year, the former prep-All American from Marshville, NC has gotten his weight up to 295 pounds and is ripped. Hall looks the part of a big-time SEC defensive tackle. I fully expect him to play like one this season.

*The Brinkley brothers may have been the most significant additions to the USC program from the 2006 recruiting class. Jasper Brinkley enrolled at USC in January and went out and earned the starting MLB position during spring practice. He was dominant throughout the spring. His twin brother Casper arrived in June, and by all accounts has been equally impressive in summer workouts. Casper will attempt to earn a starting job at defensive end. Both have excellent size and speed. Both look the part of SEC players. From conversations with GMC, and USC coaches, both possess excellent character. Both will be needed if USC is to improve it's defense this fall.

*Jared Cook looks like an NFL Tight end. There will not be a player that will look better in a uniform than the 6'6 235 pound Cook. He should make an immediate impact on USC's offense this season.

*Chris Smelley carries himself with great poise and confidence. I was very impressed with Chris Smelley yesterday. he didn't act like a true freshman that wasn't sure if he belonged. Instead the 6'3 210 pound Qb seemed at ease around members of the media, and conducted interviews with a quiet confidence and ease. Smelley is a natural, folks. Great things lie ahead for this young man in his career as a Carolina quarterback.

*Emmanuel Cook certainly looks the part. The freshman from West Palm Beach FL is already the most talked about freshman in the weight room, and would expect nothing less if he is the most talked about freshman on the practice field. Cook will compete with Chris Hampton for the starting ROV position in USC's secondary.

*Sidney Rice is still Sidney Rice. It would have been easy for the freshman phenom to have taken it easy in the off-season after his record setting performance in 2005. Instead, rice has dedicated himself in the weight room and has gained 15 pounds of muscle. Rice is on a mission to show the rest of the country that he is the premiere wide receiver in college football.

*Mike Davis and Cory Boyd will be the Gamecocks version of The Dynamic Duo. Davis doesn't resemble the timid freshman that was thrust into a starting role last season due to the suspension of Boyd. Cory Boyd is back with a vengeance, and on a mission. USC's tandem will be in the shadow of another set of runningbacks that will play in the upstate this fall. If you ask Boyd where the best running backs in the state play, he will tell you it's in Columbia. He says "just check back with me at the end of the season, and we'll see then" is what Boyd said when he was asked about the more highly regarded tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller.

*Terrance Campbell and Eric Norwood look great. I was surprised at how big Terrance Campbell has gotten since he signed with USC in February. While he will play defensive end this season, don't be surprised if he isn't moved inside next year and ultimately plays aat 290 pounds. Norwood looks more like 6'2 than the 6'0 1/2 that Cris Ard said he was last February. I expect both of these freshmen to play this season.

*The Grinder will emerge. Starting left offensive tackle Gurminder Thind already has a fan following, and I expect that following to grow by leaps and bounds this season. Thind has been praised for his pass blocking skills and weight room work ethic. Players on last year's team felt Thind was the best pass blocker on the team, including USC seniors NaShon Goddard and Jabari Levey. If all goes as planned, USC will have a pair of bookend tackles that can grow up together in Thind and fellow red-shirt sophomore Jamon Meredith.

*This will be USC's most athletic group of linebackers since the Outback Bowl teams of 2000 and 2001. Marvin Sapp, Jasper Brinkley, Dakoda Walker, Gerrod Sinclair, Curtis Rice, and Yvan Banag will make more plays than their predecessors. All of them can run and tackle. This should be a fin group to watch. don't be surprised if Rodney Paulk isn't in the mix for playing time as well.

*Steve Spurrier will play with a loaded gun in 2006. Towards the end of last season, Spurrier often went into games like Barney Fife, with only a single bullet for his pistol. That will not be the case this year. USC's offense should be explosive. With Cory Boyd, Mike Davis, Syvelle Newton, Sidney Rice, Kenny McKinley, Jared Cook, Mike West,OJ Murdock, and Moe Brown, the possibilities are limitless for The Evil Genius.

*Kenrick Ellis, Kevin Young, and Heath Batchelor are Huge. I cannot remember three larger freshmen in the same class as these guys. Garrett Anderson and Hutch Eckerson look great as well. If SEC games games are won and lost in the trenches, I feel good about the future of Gamecock football with the linemen that were brought into the program this year.