South Carolina football: Gamecocks Christmas wish list
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina football is in need of a few gifts this Christmas.
South Carolina rolls into the holiday season with uncertainty in the program. The team struggled to a two-win season in 2020, opted out of a bowl game, fired its head coach midseason, and hired Shane Beamer to clean up the mess.
The Gamecocks are in desperate need of some momentum, whether it be on the field, in recruiting, or within the coaching staff. Let’s go through a couple of items on South Carolina’s wish list as we celebrate Christmas.
New coaching hires
Shane Beamer was hired as the South Carolina head coach earlier this month, but he’s yet to name the staff members that he will be bringing to Columbia in 2021. Some of this is due to the fact that he stayed with Oklahoma through the Big XII championship game, just landing back in South Carolina full time last Sunday.
Many of his coaching targets are still with their respective teams, too, so announcements may be waiting until after the bowl season.
Nonetheless, Gamecock fans are anxious to see the ‘premiere staff’ that Beamer said he would assemble. A number of names have been thrown around regarding the coordinator openings, including Mike Bobo, Garrett Riley, Jay Bateman, Jon Heacock, and Derek Mason, but no moves have been made on that front.
There have been rumors of two coaches, Erik Kimrey and Will Friend, being the first hires, so the dominos could fall soon. Still, people want to know soon, as fans want something to be happy about this offseason.
Defenders
The Gamecocks are losing nearly all of its star power from the 2020 defense, as the team has seen six defensive backs either announce plans to transfer or opt out of the program, had leader Ernest Jones move on to the NFL draft, and could lose a handful of upperclassman along the defensive line.
South Carolina is in desperate need of bodies on that side of the ball, and they tried to address the issue with the 2021 recruiting class. Unfortunately, the small class did little to add depth, which means Shane Beamer will need to attack the transfer portal heavily in the coming months.
For the Gamecocks to see any kind of progress in 2021, they’ll need to be gifted a number of stellar defenders.
2021
It’s been a rough year for South Carolina football, as the team went just 2-8, missed out on a bowl, and is in transition under Shane Beamer. In the Gamecocks’ case, 2021 can’t come quickly enough.
The new year brings hope, though, as the Gamecocks look forward to a new coaching staff, the possibility of a new offensive scheme, and a new culture in Columbia. There’s a new excitement surrounding the team that will only continue to build with Shane Beamer leading the program.