COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer likes his team, even if few others do.
The Gamecocks’ fourth-year coach had been on a rising trajectory with a pair of winning seasons to start his tenure and lots of signs of a breakthrough year led by returning quarterback Spencer Rattler and future first-round NFL pick in receiver Xavier Legette.
But everything went wrong, from execution at key times to six season-ending injuries on a struggling offensive line and even Beamer needing a boot for a broken foot bone when he kicked a trash can in frustration after his team blew a fourth-quarter lead in a critical loss to Florida in a 5-7 season.
The Gamecocks are picked to finish 13th in the super-sized, 16-team Southeastern Conference this fall. Bring it on, Beamer said.
“I really, really, really like our football team going into 2024. Most of you don’t. That’s OK,” he said.
If you listen to Beamer, there’s a lot to love.
He’s got 20 fifth-year players, the most of his short tenure. Yes, Rattler and Legette are off to the NFL after stellar seasons. But redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers is capable of leading the team while the receivers room is filled with talent.
South Carolina’s defense will have nine upperclassmen as starters, led by tackles Alex Huntley and Tonka Hemingway.
The backward steps of last year will lead to better things this season, Beamer said.
“You’ve got to be uncomfortable in order to grow. We certainly had some uncomfortable moments last year as a team, but we also showed throughout the season how strong our culture is,” he said.
Strong enough, Beamer believes, to bounce back from a disappointing year and move forward in the SEC.
New quarterback
Rattler’s two seasons as starter were productive and filled with highlights. Now, it’s Sellers’ turn to take control with Rattler off to the NFL. Sellers, a highly touted, 6-foot-3 prospect, has a strong arm and quick feet. He’s also had a year of learning how to run the show from the steady, talented Rattler.
Rocket man
South Carolina has struggled to make a dent with its running game under Beamer, finishing in the back of the SEC pack the past three years. That could change with the addition of speedster Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who transferred in this past offseason from Arkansas.
Sanders was one of the SEC’s best runners in 2022 with 1,433 yards and 10 touchdowns. But a shoulder injury limited him to just six games and 209 yards last season.
Sanders said he’s worked hard this offseason and will be “full go” for fall camp.
Finding wideouts
Legette was South Carolina’s go-to receiver and the offense’s breakout star last fall. But with Legette a first-round pick of the Panthers and injured Antwane Wells off to Ole Miss, South Carolina does not have many well-known threats on the outside.
Freshman Nyck Harbor returns after an uneven freshman season. The Gamecocks have added five from the transfer portal in Coastal Carolina’s Jared Brown, Nevada’s Dalevon Campbell, Louisville’s Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, Florida State’s Vandrevius Jacobs and Gage Larvadain from Miami (Ohio).
First-year receiver coach Mike Furrey thinks the group is talented and competitive, just unknown.
“That’s what we’re going to find out, who’s ready to play,” he said.
Call the firemen
Defensive coordinator Clayton White expects his veteran group to take on whatever job is necessary against South Carolina’s brutal schedule this fall.
White knows his players will have to shut down plenty of talented offenses this season, including typical high-scoring groups like Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss.
“I want our defense to be guys that are dependable, put any fire out,” White said. “And our guys are poised enough to do it.”
The schedule
When is an SEC schedule not brutal? After opening against Old Dominion on Aug. 31, the Gamecocks face Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma over a six-game span in September and October. South Carolina also faces Texas A&M, Missouri and state rival Clemson.
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