South Carolina Football: Time to get excited about the Shane Beamer era

The 2020 season was not a ton of fun for South Carolina football fans. It ended early for Will Muschamp as he was fired in mid-November, capping a nearly five-year run with the Gamecocks with a 28-30 record.

Shane Beamer now gets his shot in his first head coaching gig. Beamer has paid his dues and worked his way up the coaching ladder, including a four-year stint as an assistant under then-Gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier.

He certainly has breathed some fresh air into a program in dire need of it. He has been active in the community and on social media since arriving on campus. Beamer certainly has the ambassadorship of the program down.

Now comes the tough part. The Gamecocks were 2-8 a year ago in a weird COVID-19 season. However, there are not a ton of big names on the roster to work with. There are a few bright spots but certainly more questions than answers.

Recruiting will not help this year. While the 2020 recruiting class finished in the top 20 nationally per 247Sports, the 2021 recruiting class was devastated by the coaching change, finishing 80th in the country and dead last in the SEC.

The Gamecocks have also experienced roster turnover because of the transfer portal.

This is certainly a rebuild project for Beamer. Can he beat expectations and surprise some people this fall? It is possible but a tough hill to climb.

Let’s take a look at both sides of the team and make some game predictions.