Shane Beamer took the South Carolina job in early December and immediately hit the recruiting ground, specifically the transfer portal, as hard as maybe any head coach in the country.
In just six weeks on the job at that point Beamer had landed five transfer players, seven by the end of January and by February the set group of eight.
It’s been hard to gauge the impact they’ll have on the football team this early in their South Carolina careers but Beamer’s been pleased with this group so far.
“I really like their work ethic and how they attack things and how grateful they are to be here. That’s been great to see. It’s hard to tell just in the weight room and drills and walk-throughs we do outside,” he said.
“Everything we’ve seen in that, certainly they’ve shown things that have you excited to watch them continue to progress. Until we get out there and start practicing, particularly when the pads come on, it’s hard to say.”
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The class consists of eight players, seven of which have enrolled and are on campus for spring practice.
The group is made up of two wide receivers, Ahmarean Brown and EJ Jenkins (who was working with the tight ends during practice Saturday), two line backers in Jordan Strachan and Debo Williams, two defensive backs with David Spaulding and Carlins Platel, a defensive lineman in Keem Green and quarterback Jason Brown.
Of those, only Platel isn’t on campus.
It’s hard to tell exactly what they can bring to the table just yet—the Gamecocks are only two spring practices in and haven’t even put on pads yet—but Beamer’s seen a lot of intrinsic things to make him glad they brought these players on campus.
“There’s no one we’ve looked at and said, ‘Eh, I’m not sure we made the right decision taking that guy,’” he said. “That hasn’t happened one time. Those guys are really, really fired up and grateful to be here. That’s what I’m excited to see.”
In fact, he’s been pleased with the entire team so far—returners, newcomers and transfers—in how they’ve embraced the new staff and offseason training program.
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“They’ve been above and beyond what we as a coaching staff could have expected with what they’ve done with our players already with the gains our guys have made in the weight room in a short period of time,” Beamer said. “It’s been really impressive to see and see how they’re testing numbers have improved.”
Strength and conditioning coach Luke Day, Beamer said, has done a fantastic job so far and the Gamecocks are not only seeing buy in from the players but tangible growth in the weight room.
“Our guys are getting better. They’re getting stronger. They’re getting faster. They’re getting more explosive,” Beamer said. “That’s a testament to our players and the way they’ve worked but a testament to Luke and his staff and what they’ve done in the weight room. We’re a different looking football team that what we were in December when I got hired. I’m really fired up with where we are now as well as where we’re going.”
