Shane Beamer remembers recruiting Jaheim Bell at Oklahoma to come to Norman as a tight end.

He also remembered hearing some chirping from the defensive staff about wanting Bell on the defensive side of the ball if they could get him.

Bell ultimately ended up at South Carolina and is playing under Beamer now and the Gamecock head coach is seeing why every coach at Oklahoma was excited about him.

“I think he can do a lot of different things offensively. We haven’t tried him on defense but he certainly could and special teams wise,” Beamer said. “He has a great skill set. He’s great with the ball in his hands. He has an edge about him and toughness about him, which I love."

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South Carolina’s previous staff landed Bell, flipping him from Florida, but a torn meniscus stunted his freshman before it really began and he only caught one pass for 29 yards.

This spring, with a new coaching staff, he’s impressing and the Gamecocks think he can be a Swiss Army Knife in Marcus Satterfield’s offense as an in-line tight end, split wide or even in the backfield.

“He’s a guy you can move around so much with a variety of motions where you can hand him the ball here and there. He’s a very strong individual. I think he squats close to 600 pounds or something insane like that,” Erik Kimrey said.

“And he’s a very good athlete on the perimeter and can run routes and block and carry the ball. He’s a guy we can see having the potential of utilizing a lot this coming fall.”

Bell was talked about as a versatile piece of the Gamecocks’ offense last season before the injury and seems to be chiseling out a role this spring.

“Jaheim Bell, I’ve seen a lot,” Keveon Mullins said. “He’s like a freak on the field. He’s very athletic. He can do multiple things. He can play running back, receiver, tight end.”

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Bell has a chance to play and play a lot in a Gamecock system that Satterfield and players have called tight end friendly, but the next step for him is consistent mental approach.

“With him it’s the challenge in learning everyday the mentality we have to approach every single day with on and off the field,” Beamer said. “I know he’s hungry and motivated to have a great year. I’m excited about the spring he’s had also and what he brings to the table. He’s a guy that you can do multiple thing switch and put him in different places.”