South Carolina missed out on one of the biggest targets left on its board for the 2014 recruiting class when four-star all-purpose running back Derrell Scott committed to the Tennessee Volunteers over the Gamecocks on Monday afternoon. This loss stings especially badly for USC, which was thought to have led most of the way with Scott until Tennessee made a late push, based heavily on the probability that Scott would be able to play right away for the Volunteers.
Even though the Gamecocks are deep at running back, Scott's skills are differentiated from the backs currently on South Carolina's roster. To give some context, Urban Meyer told Scott that he could be used as the next Percy Harvin during the brief time that he was being courted by Ohio State.
While USC's depth chart hurt their chances with Scott, it also meant that taking a tailback in this cycle was not absolutely critical from a numbers perspective, and it's pretty unlikely at this point that the Gamecocks would pursue another back. Of course, the Gamecocks return 1,000-yard rusher and Heisman hopeful Mike Davis in 2014, along with experienced backups Brandon Wilds and Shon Carson. Redshirt freshman David Williams will also get a chance to crack the running back rotation after signing with South Carolina in 2013 as a four-star prospect. Rising sophomore Jamari Smith is another option, but he's expected to be moved to cornerback in the spring to address the depth issues at that position.
