As dawn broke on August 28th, 2014, thousands upon thousands of vehicles clogged I-26 and I-20 as families, couples, and individuals crawled toward Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Only hours earlier, Texas A&M Aggie fans had crowded the steps of South Carolina’s State House to perform their customary “Midnight Yell”. This humored the Gamecocks; after three consecutive eleven-wins seasons and an enviable schedule, nearly every prediction cast the Gamecocks as SEC East champs, or at least the runner-up.

Twelve hours later, Darude’s Sandstorm whipped the Gamecock crowd into a frenzy. Three hours later, Gamecock fans, some in tears and some biting their lips, left the stadium with their tails between their legs. A 52-28 drubbing at the hands of the Aggies caused Gamecock Nation to rethink its 2014 goals. The defense was less stout than a paper bag. Soaking wet.

Nine days later the Gamecocks’ shootout with East Carolina was almost as troubling, though the Gamecocks managed to protect their house and frame their first W of the season.

The next week, The Georgia Bulldogs, having defeated Clemson two weeks previously, were thirsty for the chicken soup. But Sandstorm is a Bulldog’s worst enemy, and UGA once again left Willy B in shame. Had South Carolina straightened their season out? As usual, the Gamecocks struggled with the Commodores, but then again South Carolina just does not like to play football in Tennessee.

The Battle of the Columbia’s ended with the Gamecocks giving the game away to the vengeance-seeking Missouri Tigers in the fourth quarter. By this point, deep down, every Gamecock fan knew that this would simply have to be a “rebuilding year”.

There were high points, such as nearly T-boning Auburn’s Gus Bus on the Plains, draining the Swamp in Gainesville, and downgrading the Miami Hurricanes to a Miami tropical depression. But losses to Kentucky, Tennessee, and, worst of all, Clemson, proved to be the lowest point South Carolina’s football team has seen in five years.

Why did this happen? How could, after four impressive years, the Gamecocks fall from the national top-ten power list to being barely .500? This is the finished product of several years of bad recruiting and roster management. In a vacuum, South Carolina’s recruiting rankings for the past three years look great. 24/7 Sports’ composite recruiting index informs us that the Gamecocks signed the No. 17, No. 20, and No. 16 classes from 2012 to 2014. The unfortunate fact is that, for three straight recruiting cycles, whilst the team missed the SEC East champion’s seat by the skin of their beaks, the Gamecocks have addressed their biggest weakness a year too late.

South Carolina needed to sign a strong linebacker class in 2012. Instead, they waited until 2013, after the departure of four hulking senior linemen, to bring in Moore, Walton, and Bryant. Cornerback was also a position that the Gamecocks should have addressed back in the 2013 cycle. Instead, this position went unattended until 2014. By this point, Jimmy Legree had graduated, Victor Hampton had packed his bags prematurely for the pro’s, and Christian decided that transferring to Utah sounded like a good plan. Defensive end was yet another position that needed immediate attention also, if not in 2013 then certainly by the next year. Johnson was the only defensive end signee in the entire 2013 class. McClain was the only 2014 signee who qualified

South Carolina’s 2015 defensive line class is quite formidable. Will the Gamecocks reclaim their SEC superpower status next year? Only time will tell.