Aug. 9, 2012

A pair of prestigious national publications have representation from the South Carolina Gamecocks on their respective preseason first-team All-American squads.

Both Sports Illustrated and Sporting News have named Carolina junior running back Marcus Lattimore to their first team All-America unit, while sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney earned that distinction as well by SI.com.

SI.com said that “a knee injury cost (Lattimore) half of 2011, but the workhorse is ready to be a star again,” while noting that Clowney, the “SEC’s top freshman posted eight sacks in Year 1 and will now lead the Gamecocks’ D.”

Sporting News said that Lattimore “will be working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last October, and he says he’s 100 percent. Lattimore rushed for a career-high 246 yards against Navy last season, indicating his level of talent.”

Sporting News also pegs the Gamecocks as the nation’s ninth-best team entering the season saying, “This is Steve Spurrier’s best team at South Carolina,” according to the national publication.

The Gamecocks are coming off an 11-2 season, the best in school history. They open the 2012 campaign on Thursday, August 30, at Vanderbilt.