Shane Beamer talks about TE Michael Smith leaving the South Carolina program
For the third straight season, South Carolina had a surprising midseason departure.
In 2023, former South Carolina Mr. Football Xzavier McLeod was dismissed from the Gamecocks. Last season, Pitt transfer Bangally Kamara left South Carolina after being told he couldn’t redshirt. And on Tuesday, sophomore tight end Michael Smith left the USC program after playing in just four games this season.
By leaving before he plays in a fifth game, Smith will be able to utilize his redshirt season in 2025 and enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.
On Wednesday, Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer said Smith met with him last week and asked about his role on the team.
Beamer explained where he was on the depth chart and gave Smith some time to think over his future.
“He reached out to me over the weekend,” Beamer said during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference. “We had a good conversation and he just told me he thought it was best for him to get a fresh start somewhere else.”
Beamer went on to say that tight ends Brady Hunt, Jordan Dingle and Maurice Brown have shown more in practice and give the Gamecocks a better chance to win on Saturdays.
“Practice matters,” Beamer added. “Mike did a lot of good things for us in 2024, and I certainly didn’t want him to leave. I love the kid. But at the same time, he missed all the spring practice with an injury that put him behind a little bit.”
A 6-foot-6, 248-pound sophomore, Smith missed most of spring with a shoulder injury and then saw limited playing time early in the season.
After playing in a dozen games as a true freshman, catching 10 passes for over 100 yards, Smith entered the season expected to be the Gamecocks’ top tight end. Yet, though five weeks, Smith caught just two passes for the Gamecocks and took just over 60 snaps.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 12:42 PM.
