South Carolina football 2019 spring breakout players

The seeds for breakout college football seasons are usually sewn in spring practice. Players show off skills, get time to work on themselves and make their case for the next season.

Five South Carolina Gamecocks who are candidates to use the next month as a chance to break out:

Wide receiver OrTre Smith

A genetic knee issue kept him off the field as a sophomore, but he did have more than 300 yards as a true freshman forced into a starting role. He’s in line to reclaim a spot on the first team with Deebo Samuel moving on. If he comes back strong, he should be in position to lock that down and give USC a trio of experienced receivers.

Tight end Evan Hinson

The Gamecocks lost a first-round tight end after the 2017 season, and lose their top receiving and blocking tight ends off the 2018 squad. Kiel Pollard and Kyle Markway are the most experienced players out there, but Hinson might be the most intriguing. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder gave up basketball to focus on football and has long been considered one of the team’s top pass-catchers at the position. Heading into his redshirt junior season, the question is if he can grow into a consistent enough player for a big role as he focuses on one sport.

Running back Deshaun Fenwick

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound back showed off some skill surpassing the 100-yard mark in garbage time against UT-Chattanooga. He’ll go into the spring as either the team’s No. 3 or No. 4 back depending how much work A.J. Turner gets at the position. With Ty’Son Williams’ transfer, Mon Denson and Rico Dowdle look like the top backfield options, but there will be a chance for Fenwick to nab some carries behind them and position himself for when both seniors leave.

Cornerback Isreal Mukuamu

He got spot snaps at corner through the first half of his freshman year, and saw his workload go up more and more as South Carolina’s secondary fell apart. This spring, he’ll have a chance to assert himself as one of USC’s top two corners, perhaps the No. 1 player on the outside if Jaycee Horn stays in the slot. At 6-foot-4, he’s a challenge for quarterbacks to throw over and can play a little safety. Spring will give him a chance to work on possibly both before an influx of young corners join up this summer.

Defensive lineman Zacch Pickens

True, he’s not yet taken a snap against true college competition, but he’ll also be the most watched player on the team in spring. He’s big (293 pounds) and quick, and will get a chance to face college double teams for the first time. He has a lot of ability, and if he shows he can hold his own, it will say something about what he might be able to do in Year 1.