Alan Knott looks to hold down center and shake off the injury bug

Welcome to offensive line week! The Final Cockdown is going take the next two weeks to appreciate the underappreciated big guys who make room for big runs and clean pockets. Here’s a list of who we’ll go through the next 13 days:

DJ Park | Zack Bailey | Christian Pellage | Alan Knott | Cory Helms | Donell Stanley | Malik Young | Blake Camper | Dennis Daley | Jordon Carty | Eric Douglas | Chandler Farrell | Summie Carlay | Jordan Rhodes

#70 Alan Knott

RS Senior / 6’4” / 274 / Tyrone, Ga. / Sandy Creek

In his fifth year on campus, it’s safe to say Alan Knott is ready to squash the injury bug. In 2014 he missed the preseason with a right knee injury, in 2015 he missed three games due to a high ankle sprain. He finally played his first healthy season but missed the debut against Vanderbilt due to a suspension.

Now in 2017 Knott is looking to put together a full season for the first time in his career. Knott’s made 29 starts in his career while making at least eight starts each season since he was a redshirt freshman. But, he’ll need to make a large leap if he wants this offensive line to improve in 2017.

As the starting center in 2016, Knott was a part of a line that was ranked 111th in run blocking and 116th in pass blocking. If he can start an entire season without missing a game for whatever reason, perhaps that will help with the overall continuity on the line.

Select highlight: Nothing on the field, but Knott was named to the Remington Award watch list for 2017.

2016 Stats: 12 starts

Recruitment: Three-star; offers from Lousiville, Miami, Virginia Tech, South Alabama, North Carolina, UCF and South Carolina. Committed to the Gamecocks on Feb. 11, 2014.

Next Up: Cory Helms, the Wake Forest transfer looks to finish his career strong at South Carolina.