It’s a question Steve Spurrier wishes he’ll have answered by the end of South Carolina’s spring game in April, but chances are slim it will be.

As it stands, the Gamecocks do not have a formidable second option in the passing game behind Pharoh Cooper and they have six months to find one.

Any takers?

Who will emerge from the unproven, a group littered with newcomers, remains to be seen and projections are cloudy. As we mentioned earlier this month, South Carolina has just three scholarship players at the wide receiver spot returning off last season’s team thanks to multiple departures for various reasons.

Former four-star Shaq Roland, one of two transfer casualties, says he left the team prior to Christmas to pursue other interests, Damiere Byrd and Nick Jones exhausted their eligibility, and Kane Whitehurst decided he’s had enough football after coming over from Arkansas in 2012.

That leaves Shamier Jeffery, an inconsistent rising junior with eight career catches, and former Gardner-Webb transfer Carlton Heard, who hasn’t yet recorded a reception, as the most veteran receivers back behind Cooper. The Gamecocks could split Jerell Adams out wide if need be, but he’s better-suited at his natural tight end position and isn’t an every-down option.

There’s six other receivers who could vie for rotation spots this fall — three redshirt freshmen and four players from the 2015 signing class — if Jeffery and Heard can’t solidify roles. Matt Harvey is still on the team at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, but he won’t have a say in playing time as a former walk-on.

Receivers you may not be familiar with in the mix include:

  • Shaq Davidson (RS-Frosh)
  • Terry Googer (RS-Frosh)
  • Deebo Samuel (RS-Frosh)
  • Christian Owens (early enrollee)
  • Jerad Washington (early enrollee)
  • Dexter Neal (fall arrival)
  • Jalen Christian (fall arrival)

Tallying up last season’s production totals in the receiving category (running backs, tight ends included), the Gamecocks replace more than half of the yardage along with 17 out of 28 total touchdown receptions.

Making an education guess, I’d expect Davidson and Googer to emerge as threats next season, providing Cooper with a rare breather. Three other four-stars — Owens, Neal and Christian — could become factors.

“We’ll get three, four, five guys ready to go play,” assistant coach Steve Spurrier Jr. said on signing day. ” I think there are some good players in that group. It will be an important spring for all those guys.”

Right now, Cooper is South Carolina’s only game-ready wide receiver and that’s troubling for an offense replacing its quarterback along with two starters up front.