Comparing this 2013 Gamecock squad to Spurrier's '96 Gator squad ...

Word is that it was overheard said, by one of the Spurriers, that this 2013 Gamecock squad has the chance to be as talented, top to bottom, as his 2013 squad.

The hearsay started me thinking.

QB - Shaw/Thompson vs Wuerffel/??? (Florida)

WR - Anthony/Hilliard/Green (Gamecocks have a long ways to go) Shaq/Bruce/Byrd (Florida)

RB - Fred Taylor vs Davis/Wilds/Carson (yet to be seen) (Florida)

C - Mitchell vs Waldrop (Florida) (but Waldrop is just a freshman and could be as good or better by the end)

RT - Mo Collins vs Brandon Shell

(Here's one thing I am noticing immediately and that is just how young we are.) Florida obviously had a very experienced team in '96.

Also, I think today's SEC is a completely different monster than the SEC was in '96.

LT - Zac Miller vs Corey Robinson (we at least have a size advantage there)

RG - Young/Blackshear vs Cann/Stadnik (tie)

LG - Kalich/Story vs Patrick/Sport/Park (tie)

TE - Allen/Ross/Kinney vs Anderson/Adams/Owens (South Carolina)

DE - Beauchamp/Mitchell vs Clowney/Sutton (South Carolina) (Mitchell was very good though)

DT - Reggie McGrew/Ed Chester vs Quarles/Surratt/Dixon ... our depth is probably better but those first two for the Gators were pretty darn good. (Florida)

LB - Florida ... although by the end of their careers this group of Gamecock LBs could prove to be our best ever.

CB - Weary/Lott vs Hampton/LeGree (tie)

Safeties - Showers/Wright vs Williams/GoLightly/Marcus ... probably closer than most would think so - (tie)

We're far bigger than the '96 Gators were.

Looking at our depth chart we have a chance to be very good for at least the next three or four years if we can hold onto the two classes we are putting together for '14 and '15.

We're young, still in the building phase of our program and we have a lot of potential beginning this year and for the foreseeable future.