Shane Beamer’s biggest selling point on recruiting trail right now? It’s Shane Beamer
Shane Beamer has become synonymous with positive energy in Columbia.
Beamer can find a diamond in the dust of a 44-14 loss at Texas A&M, and he’s yet to lose any of his preseason vigor amid South Carolina football’s 4-4 start to the 2021 season. The Gamecocks’ first-year head coach spent the latter part of last week’s open week visiting high schools across South Carolina.
According to his Twitter, Beamer stopped by at least six schools around Columbia, including Chapin and Camden. He later attended Friday night football between May River and Hilton Head, where five-star Notre Dame commitment Jaylen Sneed attends school.
Less than a full year into his first tenure, Beamer’s recruiting moxie has already impressed national analysts.
Rusty Mansell, 247Sports recruiting analyst, told The State last month that a coaching change can bring about a number of questions for prospects. For one, what’s the new coach going to be like? The answer is simple with Beamer: enthusiastic.
“Everybody kind of knew there were gonna be some growing pains (at South Carolina), a new staff and all that kind of stuff, but I think what Shane Beamer has brought is energy with recruits,” Mansell said. “You can see he wants to be there.”
Mansell likened Beamer’s early work along the recruiting trail to that of Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman. Pittman, a noted recruiter before taking the Razorbacks’ job, has brought Arkansas’ national rating up since taking the job in 2020. Pittman’s 2022 class is ranked No. 20 in the country and No. 7 in the Southeastern Conference, according to the 247Sports Composite.
“Sam Pittman wants to be at Arkansas. Shane Beamer, this is his dream job,” Mansell said. “So when you’re a recruit and you know, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go there, and that guy’s gonna be there and is gonna be blood, sweat and tears with me,’ I think that’s the biggest thing Shane Beamer can sell right now, other than playing time.”
Beamer’s 2022 class is right on Pittman’s tail at Arkansas, with the Gamecocks’ incoming group currently ranked No. 21 nationally and No. 8 in the SEC.
Mansell added that Beamer’s social media presence likely plays a key role in his good impression with prospects. Beamer is active on Twitter, with over 78,000 followers, and shares everything from photos of his family and player shout-outs to his many high school stops, which he did throughout the open week.
“With Shane Beamer, you see the day-to-day energy,” Mansell said. “I think with that, he tries to win each day social media-wise.”
Recruiting talent is an obvious key to establishing South Carolina as a force in the SEC, and Mansell said one of the most imperative parts to building a program is finding one player to cement your roots.
The good news for South Carolina? Mansell saw it done with another Beamer, Shane’s father Frank Beamer, at Virginia Tech. Quarterback Michael Vick led a revitalized Hokies program to a national championship game in 1999.
“(Vick) leveled the playing field, and it kind of changed Virginia Tech,” Mansell said. “I don’t think South Carolina has to have a Heisman Trophy-like guy, but you’ve got to have a game-changer to try to speed the process up a little.”
Amid the Gamecocks’ current revolving door at quarterback, Shane Beamer has secured a commitment from 2022 quarterback Braden Davis. Davis, a four-star prospect from Middletown High School (Delaware), is the 19th quarterback in his class and the top player out of Delaware.
“It takes the Jimmys and Joes,” Mansell said. “But to me, I’ve always thought a couple things. ... You’ve got to have a game-changer at quarterback. If you have a very talented quarterback, or someone you can build around, that can change things and level the playing field immensely.”
Beamer didn’t inherit a ground-zero situation in Columbia. Mansell said there’s plenty for Beamer to promote to prospects. Beamer’s energy is part of the equation, and an opportunity to jump right into SEC football also works in his favor.
“South Carolina has a fanbase, they have facilities, they’ve got everything an SEC school wants,” Mansell said. “But the things that Shane Beamer can sell right now are ‘I’m going to be here with you’ and playing time.”
