The 2-minute drill with South Carolina senior receiver Kenny McKinley

Mic Smith
The Post and Courier

Senior WR Kenny McKinley led the Gamecocks with 968 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.

The Gamecocks' veteran wideout sat down with The Post and Courier's Travis Haney to chat about his rise at South Carolina and if the program is finally ready to turn a corner

You've been here as long as coach Steve Spurrier. Did you think he would've made more headway with this program by year No. 4?

"I knew it would be a little bit of a process. You've got guys who've never coached with him, never played with him before. We've been in this offense three or four years now. We're picking it up. It should roll along now. This is coach's fourth year. I'm thinking everything should get a lot better now."

Why do you think the Gamecocks are ready to turn a corner, even after last season's five straight losses?

"A lot of attitudes have changed. We've got different players here. We've got top-notch players. We've got players giving effort now. A lot of things have changed. People know the offense. And the guys coming in, they're willing to learn the offense. There's a lot of change going on."

Are you impressed that, as much as Spurrier has won historically, that he's still willing to change and tinker with things like hiring new coordinators and giving more offensive decision-making to Steve Spurrier Jr.?

"Coach Spurrier will do whatever it takes to win. The other day, we came in here and had fundamental day. All we did was fundamentals. He's just making sure everyone knows what they need to do. He was doing a lot of teaching that day. I said, 'Man, this guy really knows what he's talking about.' "

Have you already noticed the change in Spurrier Jr. taking over more of the offense? Has he paid as much attention to the receivers?

"He's basically overseeing the offense. He's coaching everybody now. He's still coaching us, but he's got more responsibilities now. He's taking over the offense. Me and Freddie Brown, we've got to take care of the receivers. He's got a lot more on his plate. I feel like that's a good opportunity for coach."

You were a high school quarterback in Mableton, Ga. Did you think you'd ever be on the verge of becoming USC's all-time leading receiver? (He's 16 receptions, 358 yards and eight touchdowns from the school records.)

"Coming in, I never thought about being the all-time leading receiver or any of that. I played quarterback (in high school). I just wanted to be a good receiver. Since I'm up there, it would be great to get all those accomplishments. Really, I want an SEC championship. I've never really won a championship on any level. This would be a great opportunity for me."

What's left for you at this point to improve on, as you try to make yourself into a pro prospect?

"Blocking. Blocking and getting bigger and stronger. That's the main thing."