Jaheim Bell’s loss stings Gamecocks, but Shane Beamer deserves benefit of the doubt
Jaheim Bell’s future is in catching footballs, but perhaps a side gig as a T-shirt magnate is in order.
Bell tweeted out the link to his newest line of personally branded T-shirts at 10:19 a.m. Tuesday, imploring South Carolina fans take a peek. “Show up to Jacksonville in style for the bowl game,” he wrote, referencing USC’s coming matchup with No. 21 Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30.
One tweet and less than 12 hours later, Bell announced he was departing South Carolina and entering the transfer portal after three season in Columbia.
Welcome to college football in 2022.
“It’s very frustrating going through the week knowing you’re going to get the ball and it doesn’t happen,” Bell said following the loss to Missouri in which he played just nine snaps. “It’s kind of frustrating, but I kind of tried to let that go after after Sunday and Monday and try to come in and build on it and be positive and prepare like a pro.”
That Bell is leaving South Carolina shouldn’t be a massive surprise. Rumors of unrest behind the scenes — and outspoken tweets from Bell’s family throughout the season — indicated he might be on the outs. But winning tends to cure plenty of ills.
Bell received at least 11 touches in each of the final four games between receptions and rushes. His 16-carry contest against Vanderbilt helped shoulder the rushing load with MarShawn Lloyd sidelined due to injury. He also proved a key cog in upset wins over No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Clemson.
Wins aside, Bell is on his way out of the program. For the first time since he took over as head coach, Shane Beamer lost a key cog in South Carolina’s plans to the transfer portal.
What’s the response? We’ll see, but Beamer and his staff deserve the benefit of the doubt.
“It does feel like it’s changed,” Beamer said in January of the incessant nature of the portal. “The recruiting never ends. You’re constantly texting and talking to guys, even when you can’t be on the road recruiting. ... I don’t feel like we’ve slowed down a whole lot, but that’s just the nature of the beast. Even in the summertime, when you’re on vacation and all, the recruiting part, you never really turn that off.”
South Carolina has been a major player in the transfer portal in Beamer’s almost 24 months on the job.
Signing Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner during last year’s cycle were coups few saw coming. Antwane “Juice” Wells, Devonni Reed and Beal-Smith have all proven to be major pieces to this year’s squad, too. Those additions amounted to a 2022 transfer class that ranked No. 9 nationally, per 247Sports.
Where the Gamecocks staff perhaps doesn’t get enough credit, though, is in identifying and squeezing production out of the less-flashy names in the transfer portal.
South Carolina has signed 20 scholarship transfers the last two years. Roughly 15 of those players have evolved into contributors on some level.
Carlins Platel proved a crucial defensive back after starting his career at Assumption University. Quarterback Jason Brown guided South Carolina to wins over Florida and Auburn in 2021 following his time at St. Francis, a small FCS school in Pennsylvania.
This year, East Tennessee State import Nate Adkins evolved into one of the Gamecocks’ most dynamic offensive options by season’s end, including his highlight-reel, one-handed grab against Clemson.
“Last year, the guys that we brought into this program, there weren’t as many recognizable names as this year,” Beamer said in February. “I don’t know how many people knew who Jason Brown was when we brought him in here last year, or Carlins Patel. People know Spencer Rattler and a lot of these other guys — Terrell Dawkins and Christian Beal-Smith — because of where they’re coming from.”
Bell’s departure is certainly a blow toward 2023 aspirations. Coupled with Stogner entering the portal on Monday and Adkins finishing out his eligibility, and that leaves the Gamecocks desperately thin at tight end heading toward the offseason.
It’s also still unknown which of Rattler, Wells and running back MarShawn Lloyd decides to test the NFL Draft waters or return to South Carolina for another season.
Yet, two years of history — and early indications this cycle — show Beamer has been able to mitigate losses and he should be able to do so again during the portal window that opened Monday and will last until Jan. 18.
South Carolina has already offered Maryland tight end transfer CJ Dippre, who told The State he’s slated to visit Columbia next week. USC is also in on three-star Miami commit Reid Mikeska at tight end.
There’s no definite timeline for any possible additions. Such is the fluidity of college football’s new pseudo-free agency reality.
We’ll soon see if that has any effect on future T-shirt sales in Columbia.
This story was originally published December 6, 2022 at 4:47 PM.
