South Carolina RB David Williams coming on much stronger in recent practices; Shameik Blackshear talks recovery

A few weeks ago, we were talking about David Williams and the fact that he had plummeted on the depth charts. Will Muschamp challenged him to do better and raise his play - and so far, that motivational tactic has paid off. Running backs coach Bobby Bentley met with the media after Tuesday’s practice and had some very good things to say about the redshirt junior’s progress.

It seems as though Williams has responded well to the pointed criticism he’s received from the staff. While Muschamp has stated that the plan is to go with a “running back by committee” (confirmed by Bentley), the majority of the carries could likely change based on performance.

More news and notes from the practice field:

—Rico Dowdle is injured (groin), but the plan is to keep the redshirt off for now. That speaks volumes to the staff’s opinion on the freshman, who they feel can contribute an added dimension to the running game when he’s healthy.

—It’s good to see Shameik Blackshear out and active after being shot in December. He spoke about it with the media for the first time since then and discussed his determination to get back on the field.

“It was just a lot of hard work,” Blackshear said. “Some days, I was out of it, I was down, felt like I couldn’t come back. Some days I was up. I was like, ‘I’ve got to get back, I’ve got to get back.’ I just pushed through it.”