The first six months of Shane Beamer’s tenure on the recruiting trail had been leading up to the start of June.
That’s when Beamer and his staff, forced from December until the end of May to do all their recruiting virtually, would get to host prospects for the first time in person and on Columbia soil.
On-campus recruiting is now in full-tilt for over a week and Beamer says it’s been an “awesome” start to in-person recruiting.
“It’s been fantastic. The amount of student athletes we’ve offered scholarships too not only in the class of 2022 but the class of 2023 and 2024 that have been on our campus and through our facility the last couple weeks is beyond what I could have even imagined,” Beamer said on the JB and Goldwater show Wednesday.
“It’s been a fantastic start having great young men and families come through here the last couple weeks. It’s been great. The response has been fantastic from having people on campus.”
Also see: Felix Hixon breaks down official visit
Starting June 1 the Gamecocks were able to bring in Gamecock targets in for unofficial and camp visits with three camps so far and dozens more unofficial visits.
On these visits players get to stroll through the indoor football facility and the newer Long Football Operations building as well.
The response, Beamer said, has been great with one high school coach saying it’s one of the better trips to Columbia he and his players have had.
“He reached out to me, the head coach of the high school did, to tell me he’s been bringing young men to South Carolina years with multiple head coaches and by far this had been the best visit they’ve been on at the university of South Carolina because of the genuineness, the welcoming and the way they were made to in this building,” he said.
“That’s what we want to be about when young men are here; that’s what we are about. That’s real and genuine and everyday with us. That’s great to hear.”
The rubber meets the road early for the Gamecocks in recruiting this week with a handful of official visits wrapping up today while the staff gears up for what will be a massive weekend in the capital city.
Along with two more camps—one Friday and another Sunday—double-digit prospects arrive this weekend for the first weekend of official visits since Beamer took over in December.
Also see: Four-star linebacker impressed with Beamer after visit
“It’s going to be a wild, wild Saturday in Columbia but it’s awesome there’s a lot of buzz and a lot of positive energy,” Beamer said. “That is spreading throughout recruiting that so many of these young men are hearing about what’s going on in Columbia and want to come check it out themselves.”
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