With a veteran quarterback and the most talented roster in Will Muschamp’s tenure at South Carolina, the Gamecocks enter the 4th season under Muschamp facing a strong schedule. Playing Alabama and Clemson at home, and Georgia and Texas A&M on the road is a tall order for any team.

The Gamecocks were picked to finish 4th in the SEC East, and it’s a noticeable step down from the dark horse team they were often labeled a year ago.

Solid recruiting has added competitive depth, especially on the defensive front, where it will show up in the biggest impact, but when will it make a contribution?

Here are the 10 biggest questions facing the Gamecocks in 2019:

1. Will the opener against North Carolina set the tone for the season?

Yes. Depending on how you feel about the Gamecocks pulling an upset against any of the big 3 on the schedule, Alabama, Clemson and Georgia, this is an important game for bowl eligibility. If you count the Gamecocks snapping at least 1 of the 5-game losing streaks to Kentucky or Texas A&M, this game in Charlotte will offer a barometer for the odds of South Carolina moving up the SEC East standings, and delivering an upset, or sliding back toward the bubble of making a bowl game.

2. Will South Carolina pull an upset?

Muschamp’s Gamecock teams have lost 10 consecutive against ranked opponents, as his lone signature win might be against Tennessee in 2016. At the moment, it appears South Carolina will face at least 5, possibly 6, ranked teams. But the odds are good that a ranked win will come this season, especially when you consider home games against Alabama, Florida and Clemson.

3. Can Jake Bentley become an elite SEC quarterback?

It seems that Bentley has been on the cusp of being a great quarterback for at least a year, but is still widely viewed as the 3rd-, 4th- or 5th-best QB in the SEC. He is an emotional leader, and has multiple examples of rallying teammates. He appears comfortable with the media and upgraded his fashion game with a flashy jacket at SEC Media Days. But the interceptions continue to be an issue he must overcome, especially near the goal line.

4. Will Ryan Hilinski see the field?

Almost every week last season, there was a chance that highly touted freshman Dakereon Joyner would see time, but it never materialized in a meaningful way. Now the program added Hilinski, arguably the best out-of-state quarterback to join the program. Whether it’s through injury or turnovers, expect Hilinski to add a new flavor to the offense and provide a second-half or midseason spark, not unlike Bentley did when he came on the scene.

5. Can the program deliver a 1,000-yard rusher?

The Gamecocks have only had two 1,000-yard rushers in the last 18 seasons, and not since Mike Davis in 2013 (1,183). Clemson transfer Tavien Feaster is a game changer in this regard, even though his career high is 669 yards. He has the take-it-to-the house speed that the Gamcocks have lacked in recent years. Rico Dowdle, like Bentley, has shown plenty of potential, but whether it’s through injuries or struggling play, he hasn’t delivered a 1,000-yard rushing season. But Dowdle as a freshman in 2016 contributed 764 yards in 9 games as he suffered from a groin injury. With the likes of Mon Denson to take off some of the bruising short-yardage plays, the Gamecocks now have 2 options in Feaster and Dowdle.

6. Is there a double-digit sack artist on the roster?

Like the 1,000-yard rushing drought, the Gamecocks haven’t had a player with 10 sacks in a season since Jadeveon Clowney had 13 in 2012. Last year, Javon Kinlaw led the team in sacks, but it was just 4.5. That’s part of the reason the Gamecocks were tied for 9th in the league in sacks last season. Zacch Pickens is obviously a part of the planned solution here, but it’s unfair to expect him to make a splash as a freshman. A more realistic solution is for Wonnum, Kinlaw and Aaron Sterling to add 2 or 3 to their historical averages.

7. Can the thin secondary be trusted?

It was well-documented last season that the secondary struggled with injuries and counting on freshmen for a lot of playing time. Recently, the team announced that safety Jaylin Dickerson was out for the season with a bone issue. That left the program with 10 healthy scholarship defensive backs, 5 are presumptive starters, but 4 are true freshmen. Plenty of teammates praise the confidence carried by Cameron Smith, John Dixon, Shilo Sanders and Jammie Robinson to push sophomores Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn. Jamyest Williams has plenty of experience, but last season was cut short by a shoulder injury. The bottom line is this potential needs to pay off early, but that seems to be a tall order.

8. Can the special teams make an impact?

The Gamecocks have a pair of underrated specialists who could easily be among the elite kickers and punters in the SEC. They were each already in the top 5 a season ago. Muschamp boasted at SEC Media Days that the Gamecocks finished 12th in the country in punting behind Joseph Charlton. Parker White might be counted on for more than 2 game-winning kicks, which he had a year ago. They key is finding a Deebo Samuel replacement at kicker return from the likes of A.J. Turner, Shi Smith, or Rico Dowdle. Generating at least a threat from the kick returner position is imperative to making an impact.

9. Will Jay Urich make another splash?

Don’t be surprised if he makes a highlight-reel play this season. Muschamp said Urich will see more time at receiver, but he will remain with the quarterbacks. Though he’s not a natural pass catcher, he has put in the time to refine those skills. After all, the darling of the spring game caught 9 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. As a quarterback, he was 6-for-8 passing for 84 yards and a touchdown.

10. Will Bryan McClendon’s second-year experience be noticeable?

The offensive coordinator installed about half of his playbook a year ago, and now needs to find a way to use the playmakers available. There are more than a few capable wide receivers, even beyond Bryan Edwards, be in the form of Kiel Pollard or Jay Urich, or one of the running backs, but someone needs a break out year. McClendon’s reputation is built on being a solid recruiter, but adding a play-calling element to his resume could propel him into being mentioned as a future head coach.