How quickly can Beamer turn South Carolina football around?
The Gamecocks are in for an interesting 2021 season. They are coming off one of their worst seasons in recent memories. As many of you know, in the pandemic shortened season, South Carolina limped to a 2-8 finish, which included a coaching change seven games into the season. Muschamp was let go following the 59-42 loss to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, and was replaced by Mike Bobo for the last three games of the year, where things didn’t get much better.
The golden boy Shane Beamer has returned to the sidelines in Columbia but as the man in charge instead of an assistant. In the six months since coming home to Columbia, Beamer has brought in coaches with NFL experience (Satterfield (OC), Gray (DB), and Adkins (OL)), while also adding coaches that played either at the college level, NFL level, or both.
The player movement, whether it was recruiting or players transferring in/out, took some time to get rolling but the roster is now set. Beamer’s first incoming class is ranked 80th in the nation, led by three-star QB Colten Gauthier and Georgia State transfer Jordan Strachan, who is being considered among the top 20 transfers in the nation by those that cover college football extensively.
Some of the players that transferred away from the program include signal caller Ryan Hillinski, who many tabbed to be the starter for next season. He decided his time in Columbia had run its course over the offseason and is now off to Northwestern in Big Ten country. Another player lost to the land of transfers would be safety Shilo Sanders. After one season with the Gamecocks, he decided that he would rather go play for his father, Deion, and help build up Jackson State. Sanders was one of three defensive back transfers, joining Jammie Robinson (FSU) and John Dixon (Penn St).
Things will take some time for Beamer and Co. to get things rolling in Columbia. He’s tasked with flipping a roster that’s won just six games since 2018. Is he going to be successful in year one? It’s not likely, at least in the win-loss column. It’s rare that a coach comes into a rough situation and turns it around right away. Take Nebraska for example. They brought in Scott Frost to lead the program after seeing how he turned Central Florida around, but the rebuild at Nebraska has taken longer than many expected.
I am not saying that Beamer isn’t the guy for the job. I am saying that we, as Gamecock fans, should be patient with the new coaching staff. Beamer’s success, at least early on, should be judged by visible progress on the field as opposed to his final record. Can the Gamecocks put a formidable offense on the field after finishing 99th or worse nationally in scoring each of the past two seasons? Will the defense improve after allowing 36 points a game in 2020? If the team can show progress, and fight for a bowl appearance in year one under Shane Beamer, it will lay a solid foundation for the future.