A closer look at QB Brady Smigiel’s ‘all positive’ first visit to South Carolina

South Carolina has pinned its 2026 quarterback recruiting hopes on highly touted Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park, California.

Gamecock head coach Shane Beamer and quarterbacks coach Mike Shula made separate trips in March to the West Coast to visit with Smigiel (6-4, 220) and his family. Last Thursday through Saturday, the Smigiels returned the favor with their first visit to the South Carolina campus.

“We liked it. We liked it a lot,” Smigiel’s father and coach Joe Smigiel said. “This was our first trip out there and as you probably know with quarterbacks, they’re interviewing all of us as much as we’re interviewing all of them and assessing them as much as they are assessing us. As you go through the weekend, I got to spend time with the GM, the head coach, the assistant offensive line coach, the special teams coach, players’ parents at practice, team managers, recruiting hostesses, boosters.

“We went there to see what South Carolina football is all about. We did our due diligence just as well. It’s pretty amazing. Nothing negative came out of all the people that I talked to.”

The Gamecocks have a couple of connections to Joe Smigiel. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, who is a former NFL assistant, knew his roommate at Arizona, Brant Boyer, who is now the special teams coordinator with San Francisco. And Smigiel said he has also known USC director of player personnel and recruiting Darren Uscher, who has also been on the staffs at UCLA and Oregon. He had conversations with them along with Beamer.

“We were able to talk about things that are really important for a winning culture,” Smigiel said. “I talked to the players themselves in situations where they could easily say some negative stuff about the program, but it was all positive. He’s recruiting the right type of kid to have great culture at that school, and they do. They are on the up and up. They have a great staff. I was just impressed the whole way around.”

Joe Smigiel said they are planning on an official visit to South Carolina for June 27. The entire family will return, and they will have the grandparents with them this time for a party of eight. He and his son will be looking to spend more quality time with Beamer and Shula on that visit.

“We’re looking for something specific,” Coach Smigiel said. “The great coach that I was under when I played and coached with was coach Dick Tomey. Coach Beamer .... it was eerie how much he reminded me of Coach Tomey. Coach Shula is one of the smartest football guys I’ve been around. The way he teaches is first class.”

Washington and Michigan are the other two contenders for Brady Smigiel. He visited Washington in early March and is going to Michigan for the spring game April 19. He also has official visits set to Michigan June 6 and Washington June 20.

This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 10:34 AM.