SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers picked South Carolina to finish second in the SEC East in 2022.

This pick surprised some because the SEC East is expected to improve this season. With Kentucky and Tennessee expected to give Georgia a challenge for the SEC East title, Rodgers picked South Carolina to finish better than Kentucky and Tennessee.

Rodgers noted the improvements made on the roster and how it will result during the season:

“I think they are, right now for me, the second-best team in the East. Honestly. They completely overperformed for what that roster was and the carousel they had of 3 quarterbacks, none of which were gonna help them win. They won those games in spite of their quarterback play at times. You add a guy like Spencer Rattler. The hate for Spencer Rattler, too, I believe is completely overplayed.”

This will be head coach Shane Beamer’s second season at the helm in South Carolina. He had unsteady quarterback play in 2021 and with the emergence of Rattler, the Gamecocks will be able to compete with the top teams in the division.

Rattler, who transferred from Oklahoma, will be expected to lead the program to its second consecutive winning season. The Gamecocks finished in 5th place in the SEC East in 2021 with a 3-5 conference record.

If Rodgers is right about South Carolina, they could shock many people in the SEC.