Yes, spring game season is here.

Technically, we’re already in the middle of it after Vanderbilt’s rain-soaked scrimmage last week. This week, it’ll be South Carolina’s turn to showcase its 2018 squad.

Here’s what I want to see from Will Muschamp’s squad in Saturday’s spring game:

1. Oregon 2.0

The buzz about South Carolina’s offense is definitely growing heading into Saturday’s spring game. ESPN’s Tom Luginbill might have been a catalyst for some of that with his comment that “you would have thought (South Carolina) was old school Oregon with their tempo.”

The new offense under Bryan McClendon has been well-documented. So far, it’s been getting rave reviews from Jake Bentley and the skill players whom it’ll feature. That’s all well and good.

I want to see how big of a transformation we get to see on Saturday. Is it really going to be that fast, or will the new offense’s true tempo be saved until the season. It could go either way. I find it hard to believe that South Carolina is going to come out with a basic offense if it doesn’t plan on running one in 2018, but it is just a spring game.

We know that if the offense looks unstoppable, the hot takes about South Carolina’s status as a trendy pick to win the SEC East will be out in full force.

2. Dakereon Joyner

Speaking of that offense, we should see plenty of the true freshman quarterback on Saturday. The highly-touted dual-threat recruit should be fun to watch in this fast-paced offense. How will he look throwing the ball? Will he wear down the defense?

South Carolina quarterbacks coach Dan Werner already said that he’d be open to having a package for Joyner in 2018. Depending on how he develops, it wouldn’t be stunning to see South Carolina use him like Alabama used Tua Tagovailoa during the regular season last year. That is, get him involved in games a bit earlier in the second half — mostly blowouts — so that Joyner can still throw and run a normal offense.

On Saturday, he’ll get a chance to run a normal offense, or at least whatever McClendon wants to show. It’d be super interesting if Joyner tore up the spring game and looked significantly better than Jake Bentley in the new offense. Surely there would be some chirping for him to win the starting job.

For now, though, Joyner is the backup who will have plenty of eyes on him come Saturday.

3. Spring Will Muschamp

So we know that Muschamp doesn’t exactly dial it down a notch in the spring. After all, this is the guy who has quarterbacks getting hit in practice. As he reminded everyone, Perry Orth broke his collar bone during spring practice a couple years ago, which Muschamp called a “dumb—” decision on his part to have him go live.

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

I’m looking forward to seeing how and if Muschamp pumps the breaks on certain things during a spring game. He’s not a “go-through-the-motions” guy, which probably makes fans hold their breath a little bit during the offseason.

If everything is going to be pretty much full speed on Saturday — something that fewer and fewer programs seem to do — we’ll get a really solid look at what to expect from the Gamecocks on 2018.

4. Quarterbacks getting protected

If Muschamp has quarterbacks go live on Saturday, that’s all the more reason that we should see max effort from South Carolina’s offensive line. As of right now, that unit is still a big question mark. Zack Bailey is the most steadying force on that unit, and even he’s moving back to his old position of left guard after spending 2017 at left tackle.

With Bailey back, it’s a pretty experienced group. Malik Young switched from defense back to his natural position of offensive tackle while Blake Camper should also provide experience up front.

Still, it’s hard to say that a unit that ranked No. 110 in rushing and No. 75 in sacks allowed is going to get better overnight. Maybe this new up-tempo system will allow the Gamecocks to be better up front. They have to be. Great teams consistently dominate on the offensive line, and that’s exactly what South Carolina is trying to become.

For now, just keeping all of their quarterbacks upright would be a victory.

5. Someone to emerge in Deebo Samuel’s absense

I’m assuming that the speedy senior will not be in action on Saturday considering that he’s been limited all spring coming off his broken foot in 2017. The spring game is the perfect opportunity for another receiver to step up and look like the guy (well, 2017 would’ve been an even better time to step up).

I’m curious who that’s going to be. We know it won’t be Bryan Edwards or Chad Terrell, both of whom suffered injuries during spring practice. OrTre Smith could be the guy after he finished third on the team in receptions. Maybe it’s Shi Smith, who was third in catches and had that go-ahead score in the Outback Bowl.

Both of the Smiths are capable, but the dark horse might be Chavis Dawkins. Bentley praised the junior for “elevating his game” during the spring.

The spring will be especially key for those three guys because not only are Samuel and Edwards expected to be full-go this fall (I’m not so sure about Terrell even though Muschamp seemed confident that he’d return sometime in 2018 after a torn ACL in the spring), U.S. Army All-American Josh Vann will also arrive in Columbia in a few months. If someone can’t emerge as a primary target in the spring game, that receiver room is only going to fill up in a hurry.

Without Samuel, Edwards and even NFL-bound Hayden Hurst, there’s a prime opportunity for someone to step up and deliver a lasting performance on Saturday.

One has to think that’s more than enough motivation needed.