Whether South Carolina’s running game will be better or worse in 2016 is up for debate. That’s why we’re here.

One thing that is certain is that it will be different.

Three of the top six rushers from last year, running backs Brandon Wilds and Shon Carson and receiver Pharoh Cooper, are gone. Two more names on that list, quarterbacks Lorenzo Nunez and Perry Orth, may not be on the field often enough to contribute much.

Only David Williams, Wilds’ backup last season, seems destined for a role in this year’s running attack.

Oct 17, 2015; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back David Williams (33) runs past Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Darreon Herring (35) at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Toss in a new coaching scheme under new coordinator Kurt Roper, and you get a recipe for change in the upcoming football season.

Will it be for better or worse? Read on:

2015 STATS

Rushing yards per game (SEC rank): 154.7 (tied for 10th)

Yards per carry: 4.39 (tied for 8th)

Rushing touchdowns: 11 (12th)

ROTATION

As indicated by last season’s stats, there’s room for growth in the running game. And there will be plenty of new faces hoping to do just that.

Williams exited the spring atop the depth chart, and the junior from Philadelphia is the only running back on the roster with significant experience on this level. He didn’t set the world on fire with his chances last year, rushing for 299 yards and no touchdowns in his 89 carries.

At 216 pounds, he’s the closest thing Roper has to a power back.

Sep 19, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back David Williams (33) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jordan Jenkins (59) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated South Carolina 52-20. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Redshirt freshman A.J. Turner, who showed off his considerable speed in the spring game, is listed as Williams’ backup right now, but should wind up playing a major role in the team’s running — and return — game this fall.

Freshmen Rico Dowdle and C.J. Freeman will also get a long look in the preseason, and with a lack of proven players at the position, both might wind up seeing action sooner rather than later.

CHASING 1,000

The last Gamecock to crack the 1,000-yard barrier was Mike Davis (1,183) in 2013. He missed it by just 18 yards in 2014.

Here is the complete list of South Carolina players to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season in the past 10 seasons:

2013: Mike Davis, 1,183 yards
2010: Marcus Lattimore, 1,197 yards

With a committee approach looking likely for the 2016 season, it will be a pleasant surprise if anyone adds his name to this ledger.

PLAY-CALLING

The Gamecocks ran the football 54.6 percent of the time last fall, a number that would have been higher had the team been winning in the second half more often. As it stood, South Carolina’s 423 rushing attempts ranked 12th in the SEC.

On first down, Steve Spurrier and G.A. Mangus dialed up running plays 61.7 percent of the time. It was the team’s most successful down running the football in terms of yardage, average and touchdowns. Again, a lack of opportunities in the second half of games held down the overall numbers.

By contrast, in Roper’s last season in Florida back in 2014, his team rushed the ball on 67.9 percent of its first-down plays. Even as a 7-5 team, the Gators still finished in the middle of the pack in yards per game and attempts.

The year before at Duke, his offense rushed the ball on just over 60 percent of its first-down plays en route to top-five ACC finishes in yards, yards per carry and touchdowns.

GREATEST CONCERNS

With plenty of experience returning on the offensive line, only two things stand between the Gamecocks and a strong running game. The first is reliable quarterback play.

Whether it’s Brandon McIlwain, Orth or Nunez (pictured), the quarterback must be able to keep defenses honest in terms of defending the passing game. If the quarterback struggles and opponents start loading the box, moving the football is going to turn into a real chore.

Sep 26, 2015; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lorenzo Nunez (19) runs during the second half against the UCF Knights at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The second is the emergence of a go-to back. A committee approach is fine, but on 3rd-and-1, the Gamecocks need a guy that can stick his nose in there and get that hard yard.

Is that Williams? Is it one of the freshmen? It could even be McIlwain or Nunez, who both have excellent mobility. There has to be a difference maker on the roster with the ball in his hands when it matters most.

ONE STAT THAT MUST IMPROVE

The perfect illustration of that point is the Gamecocks’ lack of success on 3rd-and-short last fall. They ran the ball 31 times on third and less than 3, producing only 2.94 yards per carry and only 14 first downs.

This was a key factor in South Carolina’s 35.4 percent conversion rate on third down, which ranked 12th in the conference.

Roper’s Florida squad was far more successful in those situations, converting 25 of 39 rushing attempts (64.1 percent) into first downs in 2014.

BETTER OR WORSE?

There are plenty of question marks for the South Carolina offense as a whole, but two things point to increased production from the running game.

The first is an experienced offensive line, particularly at center and on the left side with Mason Zandi, Zack Bailey and Alan Knott.

The other is the likely introduction of a mobile quarterback. Orth had his moments behind center in 2015, but McIlwain is pushing hard for the starting job after enrolling early and impressing in the spring.

Plus, he’s a better fit for the read-option game that Roper likes to run. A quarterback who is a threat to run forces the defense to defend both sides of the field on the read option.

That’s a dimension that Orth just doesn’t offer consistently.