Expectations already building for USC in Year 2 under Shane Beamer. What’s realistic?
Ah, yes, it’s that time of year.
It’s that time when the weather turns bleak, a national champion is crowned and, of course, when we turn our sights toward the 2022 college football season.
South Carolina catapulted itself into the public consciousness in Shane Beamer’s first fall in Columbia. It beat Florida Auburn to get bowl eligible. It throttled North Carolina in a 38-21, condiment-crazed Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 to finish 7-6.
Throw in the addition of Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler and five other prolific transfer portal acquisitions over the last month and it’s hard to imagine a better 2021 for a team that was slotted for somewhere between three and five wins this fall.
Early buzz
So where does South Carolina go from here? The expectations will be there. Hell, they already are.
South Carolina landed in the Way-too-Early Top 25 polls for both ESPN and CBS Sports. An influx of talent will have that effect.
Rattler is arguably the best quarterback to enter the transfer portal this side of fellow Sooners signal-caller Caleb Williams. The former-five star recruit gives the Gamecocks instant national credibility and is a big part of why USC has had so much success in the transfer portal thus far. Simply put, talented players want to play with other talented players.
The offense
The Gamecocks offense should look completely revamped, at least on paper, from a unit that finished toward the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. Rattler’s OU running mate Austin Stogner is a legitimate NFL prospect at tight end. Christian Beal-Smith led an 11-win Wake Forest team in rushing this fall. Receiver Antwane Wells will make the transition from one of the FCS’ elite programs in James Madison, but he’s got star potential written all over him.
South Carolina is slated to bring back its entire offensive line in 2022. That doesn’t happen often in college football, but the Gamecocks struggled up front for the bulk of this season. How will that group rebound?
USC will also have to replace a pair of productive, albeit inconsistent, rushers in Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White. Christian Beal-Smith figures to be a part of that equation, as do returners MarShawn Lloyd and Juju McDowell.
South Carolina took a committee approach to the running back room, for the most part, in 2021. Expect more of the same in 2022.
The defense
South Carolina’s defense should also be plenty capable next fall.
The Gamecocks project to return as many as eight starters from this year’s squad. Throw in the additions of Central Michigan safety Devonni Reed — who should slide nicely into the slot vacated by All-American Jaylan Foster — and N.C. State import Terrell Dawkins and defensive coordinator Clayton White has the makings of another elite unit.
The question, if there are any on this side of the ball, is how the Gamecocks can replicate 2021’s success. South Carolina led the SEC in takeaways. Turnovers are equal parts luck and skill. Can USC hawk interceptions and force fumbles like they did this fall? That’s TBD.
USC also had its share of issues stopping the run. Five of South Carolina’s last six opponents ran for 120 yards or more. Four of those teams notched 190 or more yards on the ground. The Gamecocks have to find a way to slow opposing rushers in 2022.
The concerns
It’s easy to get caught behind rose colored glasses after Beamer’s breakout Year 1 given what South Carolina brings back and has since brought in since the season concluded.
USC still has depth issues most of the way through the roster. The transfer portal is spectacular for instant-impact guys, but recruiting takes care of depth. That’s a two-, three-, even four-year undertaking.
Rattler, too, could have his drawbacks. It’s no secret the talent he possesses. There’s a reason he stood at or near the top of most every preseason Heisman Trophy odds chart in 2021. But Rattler did have his issues last fall, leading to his benching in favor of Williams.
The Gamecocks also played six games that were decided by nine points or less this year. South Carolina was 4-2 in those games, the only losses coming to Kentucky and Missouri by a combined nine points.
Take recent history as a cautionary tale. The 2017 USC squad under Will Muschamp’s guidance finished the year 9-4. It also won five games decided by a touchdown or less. The Gamecocks went 2-2 in such games the next year and finished 7-6 on the season.
Looking ahead
South Carolina has the pieces to take a step forward in Year 2. Rattler gives the Gamecocks a legitimate star at quarterback they’ve rarely, if ever, had. There’s also something to be said for continuity. USC has only had to replace one on-field assistant coach so far — though that can always change.
Vegas over/unders on win projections won’t come out for a few more days, or even months. It’s safe to assume South Carolina won’t be pegged as a four-game winner again in 2022. The schedule sets up nicely for an eight- or nine-win season, if things break right.
South Carolina 2022 football schedule
TV channels, times to be determined later.
- Sept. 3: home vs. Georgia State
- Sept. 10: at Arkansas
- Sept. 17: home vs. Georgia
- Sept. 24: home vs. Charlotte
- Oct. 1: home vs. S.C. State
- Oct. 8: at Kentucky
- Oct. 15: OPEN
- Oct. 22: home vs. Texas A&M
- Oct. 29: home vs. Missouri
- Nov. 5: at Vanderbilt
- Nov. 12: at Florida
- Nov. 19: home vs. Tennessee
- Nov. 26: at Clemson
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
