South Carolina’s Shane Beamer drops recruiting hint during SEC Media Days appearance
Shane Beamer made a bold declaration in his opening remarks at the podium for SEC Media Days in Nashville.
“The best days of South Carolina football are still ahead of us,” he said Thursday. “I’m convinced of that.”
Coming off an exciting but inconsistent 8-5 (4-4 SEC) 2022 campaign, Gamecocks football is trending upward. But youth, inexperience and roster turnover remain key concerns. Here are some takeaways on those topics and more from Beamer’s Q&A with reporters:
Dropping recruiting hints
Beamer recalled the hype around new defensive line coach Travian Robertson as a player.
“He was a highly recruited guy out of the state of North Carolina,” Beamer said. “We need more guys in that state to follow his and come across the border south.”
That comment could be a nod to a certain prospect who’s about to make a public commitment. Four-star athlete Jonathan Paylor from Burlington, North Carolina has been projected as a USC lean and has the Gamecocks in his top five. He will commit on Aug. 5, according to his Twitter.
Or, Beamer’s line could be indication he thinks there’s room for improvement in recruiting North Carolina. (Target Malcolm Ziglar recently opted to stay home and play for UNC.)
Since being hired in December 2020, Beamer has signed two from North Carolina, both defensive linemen, with Nick Barrett (Goldsboro) in 2021 and D’Andre Martin (Durham) in 2022.
Among others, previous coach Will Muschamp signed Mo Kaba, Sherrod Greene, Jovaughn Gwyn, Eric Douglas, Mitch Jeter and Rick Sandidge. Steve Spurrier’s USC rosters often had a lot of N.C. flavor, including Travian Robertson, Chris Culliver, Melvin Ingram, Pharoh Cooper, Cliff Matthews, Jason Barnes and Corey Robinson.
It’s not the first time Beamer has publicly alluded to recruits of interest. At SEC Media Days in 2021, he sent a message believed to be intended for four-star tight end Oscar Delp (a Georgia product who stayed in-state and ended up at UGA). In December, he teased Nyckoles Harbor’s signing.
Early praise for Robertson
Robertson was named the Gamecocks’ defensive line coach in May, returning to his alma mater after playing defensive end in the NFL and coaching stops at Tulane and Georgia State.
“He’s made an impact already,” Beamer said. “One of our defensive linemen pulled me aside a week after Travian had been on our campus and said, ‘You hired the right guy.’ ”
Razorbacks-Gamecocks connections
Beamer also gushed over his acquisitions from Arkansas in tight end transfer Trey Knox and new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
“I remember coaching against Trey last season when we played Arkansas in Week 2 and what a problem he presented defenses because of his size and athleticism,” Beamer said. “And Dowell was his position coach there at Arkansas and did a great job with him helping develop him as a tight end. Excited about the leadership, the talent and the energy level that Trey has already brought to our football team.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2023 at 12:47 PM.
