The Gamecocks are bringing back a senior day tradition under Shane Beamer
For the first time since 2015, South Carolina’s seniors will be recognized when the Gamecocks host Clemson.
The Shane Beamer era is bringing back the tradition of always holding senior day the last home game of the regular season — and every other year, including 2021, that final game is against the in-state rival Clemson Tigers. South Carolina hosts Auburn today and then renews its football rivalry with Clemson this year at 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network) on Saturday, Nov. 27.
In odd-numbered years under coach Will Muschamp (2017 and 2019), USC opted to observe senior day at the game just prior to their annual home finale vs. the Tigers. South Carolina defeated Wofford 31-10 for senior day 2017 and lost 20-15 to Appalachian State in 2019.
Muschamp went 0-4 against Clemson from 2016-19, and the Gamecocks fell to the Tigers by a combined score of 184-55 across those four meetings. Muschamp was fired seven games into the 2020 season, during which the annual meeting with Clemson was called off as the Gamecocks played an all-SEC schedule due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The official senior day list — those who will walk and be recognized before next weekend’s game — won’t be finalized until later this coming week.
South Carolina has nine super seniors or graduate seniors, those with no eligibility left: Spencer Eason-Riddle, Jabari Ellis, Jaylan Foster, Nick Muse, Zeb Noland, Carlins Platel, Damani Staley, Aaron Sterling and Parker White.
Other seniors technically have a year of eligibility left thanks to NCAA relief granted during last year’s COVID-impacted season — though it’s up to those players to decide whether or not they want to return for another season.
Senior defensive back R.J. Roderick, for example, said this past week that it hasn’t been discussed yet whether or not he’ll be back for 2022. Roderick and guys like senior quarterback Jason Brown still have one more year they can play. And then are such players as Dakereon Joyner, listed as redshirt juniors, who already have their degrees and will have several options for what they want to do next year.
“It’s certainly a unique situation in that you’ve got a lot of guys that are super seniors that can’t come back,” Beamer said. “And then you got a group of guys that are technically seniors that may or may not come back, but Jason has another year. I believe he plans on coming back, but all those all those conversations and conversations that, you know, we’ll sit down after the season and talk with those guys, not just Jason, but a lot of those guys that are in that situation.
“Certainly we’ll have players weighing NFL opportunities and things like that, like you always do. And we’ll sit down with all of them and help them make the best decision for for them and for our program as well.”
Beamer was an assistant coach at South Carolina from 2007-10 under head coach Steve Spurrier. During that time, the Gamecocks went 2-2 against their in-state rival, winning once in Columbia and once in Clemson.
The Tigers lead the all-time series 71-42-4 and carry a six-game win streak into this year’s matchup. The Palmetto Bowl will return in 2021 following the 2020 hiatus, which broke the rivalry’s 111-year streak of consecutive annual meetings.
