How Shane Beamer, new USC coaching staff might tackle building first recruiting class
Shane Beamer is going to be a very busy man over the next two weeks.
Beamer is South Carolina’s new football coach and will have plenty to do as he starts the job. At least one date, though, is bearing down the new USC staff: the early recruiting signing period that starts Dec. 16.
The Gamecocks’ 2021 recruiting class needs work — a lot of work. Six players have decommitted since Will Muschamp was fired on Nov. 15. The class is ranked 89th nationally and last in the SEC, according to 247Sports. TCU is the only Power 5 school ranked lower, and the Horned Frogs have eight commits.
South Carolina has 21 spots available for new scholarships that could go toward high school signees or college transfers. There are 10 high school prospects still committed, meaning there are currently 11 new scholarships to work with.
Beamer might opt to put more emphasis on recruiting high-school prospects for the traditional February signing period, Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Friedman told The State.
“It is difficult. You need to have a charismatic coach into the fold and steal one or two guys in early signing period and gear for late signing day,” Friedman said, “have some potential to woo some guys at the end. But it is going to take a big effort on their part.
“The goal for the early signing period is keeping the class together, maybe bring some guys in to fill some holes — and getting after it really for the second signing period.”
The first day of that second signing period is Feb. 3, what was traditionally known as National Signing Day before college football added a signing period in 2017 to December.
Recruiting in general will be a challenge because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An NCAA dead period means no face-to-face interactions of any kind are allowed between coaches and players through April 15.
That means no school-organized on-campus visits, though recruits can visit on their own without meeting coaches. USC put a lot of work into virtual recruiting trips in the summer.
Will Muschamp benefited from that face-to-face interaction when he was hired in December of 2015. After his introductory press conference, Muschamp went to nearby Richland Northeast High School to visit T.J. Brunson, who eventually flipped from Louisville to South Carolina.
He also was able to visit Conway to see Bryan Edwards, who had decommitted from South Carolina. Edwards went on to be one of the top receivers in Gamecock history.
Beamer is known for his track record as a recruiter during his time at South Carolina, Georgia and most recently Oklahoma. According to 247Sports, Beamer has signed or got commitments from 19 four- or five-star prospects, including Sooners QB commit Caleb Williams. 247Sports ranks Williams, who is from the Washington, D.C., area, as the No. 7 recruit in the nation for the Class of 2021.
Beamer has done a good job recruiting the D.C. area for Oklahoma and already had great connections for recruiting in the Southeast. Friedman said it will be critical to use established relationships with players and coaches.
Beamer also will have a larger transfer portal to work with this year and could use the formula Greg Schiano used when he arrived at Rutgers last year. Schiano used the transfer portal and JUCO ranks to bring a lot of new players with experience.
“This is going to be key, to remake the roster,” Friedman said. ”Schiano brought 40 new guys and you see results on the field. South Carolina can do something similar, bring in heavy hitters from the transfer portal.”
While securing guys for the first class is important, Friedman said Beamer also needs to have his eye on the Class of 2022. There are three Top 100 prospects in South Carolina for 2022 — Jeadyn Lucas, Jaylen Sneed and Jaleel Skinner — who have not committed yet.
Beamer needs to keep highly-touted 2022 quarterback commitment Gunner Stockton in the fold, Friedman said. Stockton committed to USC in August. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 27-ranked prospect in the country and the top dual-threat quarterback.
Stockton plays for Jaybo Shaw at Rabun County High in Georgia. Jaybo the brother of former USC quarterback Connor Shaw, who is expected to have a role on Beamer’s staff, according to multiple reports.
“He is the big-time fish in the class and he needs to secure him for the future of the program,” Friedman said of Stockton.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S 2021 CLASS
- QB Colten Gauthier
- RB Caleb McDowell
- WR Sam Reynolds
- WR Omega Blake
- WR Derwin Burgess
- OL Jordan Davis
- OL JonDarius Morgan
- DL Nick Barrett
- DL TJ Sanders
- DB Marcellas Dial
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 12:00 AM.
