Optimism abounds around South Carolina as the Gamecocks are still basking in the mayo celebration amid the 7-win season in 2021, easily at least twice as many wins as most projections pegged for Shane Beamer’s program last summer.

Several key returnees on defense and a star-studded quarterback transfer have only fueled the idea that the Gamecocks will enter the preseason AP Top 25 this summer. Now we get to see some of these new players, and the motivated returnees under the lights on Saturday night.

Here are 5 players I can’t wait to watch in Saturday’s spring game:

QB Spencer Rattler

One of the most obvious choices across college football, Rattler will bring national attention to the Gamecocks, even during the Garnet and Black Game. Rattler has shared that he feels comfortable with the Gamecocks, the pressure is off, and he feels refreshed. Rattler’s 28 touchdown passes in 2020 are something Gamecocks fans haven’t seen since Jake Bentley passed for 27 in 2018.

How will his chemistry be with Josh Vann? Will Rattler help further expose Antwane Wells as a breakout candidate? There’s plenty to be excited about for Rattler’s first extended public action in Williams-Brice Stadium.

RB MarShawn Lloyd

The feature back that everyone expected Lloyd to be seems to be on the cusp of arriving any moment. While the Gamecocks will have Georgia transfer Lovasea Carroll, and Columbia transfer Dante Miller will offer plenty of quality depth, Lloyd should be primed for a lead back role. His knee injury and the emergence of Juju McDowell slowed that delivery somewhat, but all indications are that Lloyd has rounded into form this spring. He has already reported this spring that his knee is 100%, and Lloyd feels the best he has since he arrived in Columbia. Between the veteran offensive line, and another year in the playbook to polish pass protection for the running backs, Lloyd should be a bona fide breakout player entering the season.

DT Zacch Pickens

Shane Beamer understands that any elite SEC team needs big-time talent on the defensive line, and that’s what he has in Pickens, who passed on the NFL to return to the Gamecocks. Pickens’ return is critical; the Gamecocks lost Kingsley Enagbare and Aaron Sterling off the defensive line. The former 5-star defensive tackle made 38 tackles, including 5 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks last season, and should be motivated to impress NFL scouts for next year’s NFL Draft. Here’s what he plans to work on.

“Me and my mom were thinking about it,” Pickens told reporters late last month. “I had the opportunity to leave. It was still some stuff that I was still lacking, like pass rush. Me and coach (Jimmy) Lindsey are working on pass rushing and trying to stay low. Getting my footwork a little bit better. I am using this time to put all of that in. Since we have all of these practices, I might as well work it. We definitely are going to spend a bunch of this practice time getting myself ready.”

K Mitch Jeter and Alex Herrera

You might be surprised to see a couple of kickers here, but the Gamecocks have a strong competition to replace old reliable Parker White, who left as SC’s all-time leading scorer. With Beamer being a special teams guru, and veteran assistant Pete Lembo overseeing the group, this should be a strength of the team, so whoever wins the job will be a key figure. Lembo reported last week that both kickers are connecting in the 80-85% range, which is a bit lower than White’s 90% clip. Beamer in last year’s spring game was guarded about revealing too much, but look for him to take advantage of the crowd and night-game atmosphere to add a wrinkle to the kicking competition.

DL TJ Sanders

Sanders is another reason the Gamecocks have a lot to like about the defensive line. The redshirt freshman has already sold his teammates and coaches, even dating to last season, Beamer included. The 6-5, 300-pound Sanders only played in 2 games last season,but did more than enough on the scout team to gain respect around the program.

“I have been buying stock in TJ Sanders since like mid-October of last year because I saw what he did on the scout team late all last season,” Beamer said. “It was to the point late in the year, the defensive coaches will tell you, I told them you need to watch what TJ Sanders is doing in practice. Because he is a guy who continues to get better.”

Sanders has all the indications of a late bloomer as he signed with the program at the end of the Will Muschamp era after primarily focusing on basketball in high school. Keep an eye on him as a pleasant surprise by midseason.