South Carolina football: Justin Stepp hired as wide receivers coach

South Carolina football has hired its next WR coach.

Shane Beamer’s new offensive staff is now complete following the hiring of wide receivers coach Justin Stepp. Stepp, who had been in the same role at Arkansas for the last three seasons, joins Mike Bobo, Des Kitchings, Erik Kimrey, and Will Friend on that side of the ball.

Stepp is considered to be one of the top wideout coaches in the country, which will hopefully give a boost to a very unproductive receiver room in Columbia. Last season, South Carolina wide receivers caught 97 passes for 1,033 yards and six scores. Senior and leading receiver Shi Smith accounted for around 60% of that production on his own, recording 633 yards and four of the six touchdown receptions.

Stepp will have the task of coaching up a very young group that’s in search of it’s top receiving threat in 2021. Upperclassmen Josh Vann and Jalen Brooks should be back after showing glimpses of potential. OrTre Smith and Randrecous Davis could also return after sitting out of the 2020 season.

Outside of those four players, the room consists of three freshmen (Powers, Caldwell, Wyman), sophomores Xavier Legette and Dakereon Joyner, who are both still new to the position, and a handful of incoming recruits.

Stepp got a little help over the weekend, as the Gamecocks pulled a commitment from Georgia Tech transfer Ahmarean Brown, who hauled in 33 catches for 619 yards and eight touchdowns with the Yellow Jackets. He could become an instant impact type player, with big play potential. Brown averaged over 18 yards a catch in Atlanta.

Stepp has been a member of some very talented receiving corps, having coached on staffs at Appalachian State, SMU, and Arkansas. In that time, he’s overseen the progression of wideouts like Trey Quinn, Courtland Sutton, Treylon Burks, and Sean Price.

Quinn and Sutton were both All-Americans and eventual NFL draft picks, Burks has led the Razorbacks in receiving each of the last two seasons, and Price set a NCAA FCS freshman record by hauling in 81 passes and 1,196 yards in 2012.

Stepp should also help out on the recruiting front, having landed commitments from five four-star prospects, according to 247 Sports.

He will look to continue that recruiting success as he travels back to his home state of South Carolina. Stepp was born in Columbia, and played his college ball at Furman. He’s been a wideout coach at North Greenville, and was a graduate assistant with Clemson, so he’s familiar with the area and the program.

Stepp will have his hands full in turning around a passing attack that ranked 104th in the nation last year(187 ypg), but as bad as the position group was, the cupboard isn’t as bare as it appears. OrTre Smith, Josh Vann, and Dakereon Joyner were all considered four-star players coming out of high school. Randrecous Davis has been extremely productive on the field, but he’s been unable to stay healthy. Jalen Brooks and Ahmarean Brown were all-conference talents at previous stops.

Stepp will hopefully be able to maximize the production, revitalize and a receiving corps that was missing in action last year.