In the aftermath of South Carolina’s spring game, head coach Shane Beamer let it be known that Boaz Stanley “would probably” be the team’s starting center coming out of spring practice.
Even with that notion seemingly giving him a slight edge, Stanley hasn’t let it impact him with the Gamecocks now in fall camp.
“We were actually just talking about this at the beginning of our first meetings that we had,” Stanley said. “… Coach Teasley just said it’s a meritocracy. We’re gonna put the best five out there. It doesn’t matter who it is. It doesn’t matter if I’m the best tackle or the best center, or the best guard. It doesn’t matter who’s at what position. We’re gonna put the best players out there.”
This mindset has not only pushed Stanley but also the other offensive linemen, as South Carolina is replacing three starters this season. And with many in the group able to play multiple positions, it’s only created more competition.
“I think everyone can play, for sure the opposite of their position, and a lot of people can play guard and tackle,” he said. “I mean, I’ve been playing all three, so I’m kind of interchangeable with all three. Almost all the centers can play all three interior spots, if not tackles.”
Stanley, who transferred from Troy in the offseason, started all 12 games on the Trojans’ offensive line. He started seven games at center and five at right tackle while only allowing two sacks in 405 passing situations. He was also not called for a penalty all season.
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Now with the Gamecocks, he’s developed a good rapport in his time at center, working with quarterback LaNorris Sellers. If named the starter going into the season, he would replace Vershon Lee, who started 40 games during his college career, including all 13 games at center last season.
“I mean, this is our second day in pads, so it’s kind of been working out all the kinks of just starting fall camp and starting to work again in practices, and not just walk-throughs,” Stanley said. “So I think it’s been fun. It’s been fun to get back out there. And, I mean, (Sellers is) a really good player, so it’s cool to see him do everything that he does. He’s a good leader. So it’s just fun to play with him.”
For Stanley, though, the toughest part about playing center is “getting everyone on the same page.” He said that a lot of it comes down to having good chemistry among all five starters up front.
“Whenever a play fails, it’s probably because you’re not communicating well,” he explained. “So that’s definitely the hard part is just getting all five guys doing the same thing, especially when it’s loud, when you can’t really talk to everybody.
“That’s where that chemistry really plays a part. You don’t have to communicate as well when you can kind of like, if the defense shifts, you don’t gotta say the entire play again. You can kind of just like, ‘Okay, we know what we’re doing,’ and then we’re all on the same page.”
But at least from Stanley’s standpoint, the offensive line is becoming much more cohesive as a unit. That’s something he sees going a long way to having success this year.
“I think this winter training and summer training, we’ve really focused on hanging out together and just building chemistry off the field, which is really important,” Stanley said. “We’ve gotta have fun around each other, we’re around each other every day. So I think that’s definitely part of why we’re I’ve seen more chemistry being built during fall camp.”
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