South Carolina projected starting lineup and depth chart for Citrus Bowl | 2024 college football season

The South Carolina Gamecocks will travel to Orlando, where they will face the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Citrus Bowl on Tuesday. The game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve and will be broadcast on ABC.

The Gamecocks (9-3) finished the regular season with six straight wins after narrowly losing to Alabama. However, a couple of their stars will be missing. All-American edge Kyle Kennard and starting running back Rocket Sanders are not on the depth chart. Both players are entering the NFL draft.

While Kennard opted out in mid-December, Sanders’ situation wasn’t entirely clear. The running back has struggled with injuries before.

If South Carolina gets past Illinois (9-3), it will win 10 games in a season for the first time since the Gamecocks went 11-2 in 2013 under Steve Spurrier. Here is a look at the complete depth chart for South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl.

South Carolina projected starting lineup and depth chart for Citrus Bowl

Mazeo Bennett finished the season with 324 yards for South Carolina. - Source: Imagn

Offense

WR-X (Wide Receiver X)

Starter: Nyck Harbor

• 2nd: Jared Brown
• 3rd: Daleveon Campbell

WR-X (Wide Receiver Z)

Starter: Gage Larvadain

• 2nd: Vandrevius Jacobs

SL (Slot Receiver)

Starter: Mazeo Bennett

• 2nd: Payton Mangrum
• 3rd: Luke Doty

LT (Left tackle)

Starter: Josiah Thompson

• 2nd: Tree Babalade

LG (Left Guard)

Starter: Kamaar Bell

• 2nd: Markee Anderson

C (Center)

Starter: Vershon Lee

• 2nd: Ryan Brubaker

RG (Right Guard)

Starter: Torricelli Simpkins III

• 2nd: Trovon Baugh

RT (Right Tackle)

Starter: Cason Henry

• 2nd: Jatavius Shivers

LTE (Left Tight End)

Starter: Josh Simon

• 2nd: Brady Hunt

RTE (Right Tight End)

Starter: Michael Smith

• 2nd: Maurice Brown II

RB (Running Back)

Starter: Juju McDowell

• 2nd: Oscar Adaway III

QB (Quarterback)

Starter: LaNorris Sellers

• 2nd: Robby Ashford

Defense

LE (Left Defensive End)

Starter: Bryan Thomas Jr.

• 2nd: Gilber Edmond
• 3rd: Des Umeozulu

NT (Nose Tackle)

Starter: Tonka Hemingway

• 2nd: TJ Sanders
• 3rd: Monkell Goodwine

DT (Defensive Tackle)

Starter: Alex Huntley

• 2nd: Nick Barrett
• 3rd: DeAndre Jules

RE (Right Defensive End)

Starter: Dylan Stewart

• 2nd: Bryan Thomas Jr.
• 3rd: JT Geer

WLB (Weakside Linebacker)

Starter: Debo Williams

• 2nd: Bam Martin-Scott

MLB (Middle Linebacker)

Starter: Demetrius Knight Jr.

• 2nd: JayR Johnson

LCB (Left Cornerback)

Starter: O’Donnell Fortune

• 2nd: Emory Floyd
• 3rd: David Spaulding

SS (Strong Safety)

Starter: DQ Smith

• 2nd: Peyton Williams

FS (Free Safety)

Starter: Nick Emmanwori

• 2nd: David Bucey
• 3rd: Gerald Kilgore

RCB (Right Cornerback)

Starter: Judge Collier

• 2nd: Vicari Swain

NCB

Starter: Jalon Kilgore

• 2nd: Kelvin Hunter
• 3rd: Jalewis Solomon

Special Teams

P (Punter)

Starter: Kai Kroeger

• 2nd: Mason Love

K (Kicker)

Starter: Alex Herrera

• 2nd: Mason Love
• 3rd: William Joyce

H (Holder)

Starter: Kai Kroeger

• 2nd: Mason Love

LS (Long Snapper)

Starter: Hunter Rogers

• 2nd: Cole Rasmussen

KR (Kick Returner)

Starter: Tyrell Robinson

• 2nd: Miles Stewart

PR (Punt Returner)

Starter: Juju McDowell

• 2nd: Gage Larvadain

KR (Kick Returner)

Starter: Juju McDowell

• 2nd: Nyck Harbor