Transfer portal opens. Why South Carolina’s plan is to attack — and be patient
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer knows that mining the the transfer portal isn’t just a one-day sprint. It’s more like a marathon.
Two players who USC added to the roster last year — offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins, who transferred from North Carolina Central, and linebacker Demetrius Knight, who came in from Charlotte — both were late additions in the transfer portal window for the Gamecocks. And both became starters and major contributors.
So when the transfer portal officially opened Monday, Beamer said the South Carolina staff plans to be proactive but patient in their search through the portal.
“We’re not going to attack everything, where we’re done with our football team by (Monday) night,” Beamer said. “It’s a process, but certainly there’s some guys that we’re eager to talk to.”
In other words, Beamer’s approach to the transfer portal isn’t a mad dash through a Black Friday sale.
It’s more like carefully curating a playlist. You have to find the right pieces to harmonize with what’s already there, even if it takes time.
The Gamecocks have lost 11 players already — including linebacker Mo Kaba — all who plan to officially enter the transfer portal once it’s open.
Beamer hasn’t heard about any other players planning to transfer other than the 11 who have already announced their plans. But he said he’s ready if others do — that’s just the nature of college football nowadays.
Having players leave and needing to retool isn’t unfamiliar territory. USC lost 21 players to the portal last year, but also added 20 transfers as well.
“I think we’re in a pretty good shape, a pretty good place. But you always anticipate stuff going the wrong way too,” Beamer said when asked if he expects any more transfers when the portal opens.
Another transfer success story from last year is edge rusher Kyle Kennard, who came to South Carolina from Georgia Tech. He’s had one of the most productive seasons for USC this year. At 11.5 sacks, he’s 1.5 away from tying the all-time single-season record set by Jadeveon Clowney.
It’s not immediately clear what USC’s specific plans are for the portal. But you can look at USC’s signing day haul from last week to get an idea, Beamer admitted.
The positions they didn’t prioritize then will likely be a focus now in the portal. Best guess? USC is probably looking for running backs and both offensive and defensive linemen.
The Gamecocks added running back Rocket Sanders from the portal a year ago, but he’s out of eligibility. Sanders led South Carolina with 183 carries in the regular season. The other five tailbacks who had touches in 2024 combined for 114 carries. That includes veteran Juju McDowell, who also exhausted his eligibility.
This year’s window for a player to enter the portal closes Dec. 28. In last year’s cycle, Knight and Simpkins entered the portal just before the 2023 window closed. They both committed to South Carolina on Jan. 4, 2024.
USC’s process of picking up key pieces in positions of need in the transfer portal were big factors to its success this year. Those aforementioned 20 transfers outnumbered the 16 signees in the 2024 class, a first under Beamer.
The Gamecocks went from five wins last season to nine this year — with the chance to win a 10th for the fourth time in program history with a victory in the Citrus Bowl against Illinois.
South Carolina will hope to replicate that success next season by fortifying their forces with new faces — even if it won’t be an overnight transition.
“We’ve got to attack the portal, and we’ve got to get better,” Beamer said.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 9:16 AM.
