Taking over as a coach for the first time is never easy, but South CarolinaShane Beamer is certainly ready for this challenge. As the son of legendary Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, Shane has lived college football all his life and has had stints at Kirby Smart in Georgia and Lincoln Riley in Oklahoma to learn from some of the best coaches at the moment. In addition, he trained at Columbia from 2007-10, so there is no doubt that Beamer understands what it takes to win in South Carolina. Although Beamer seems to be a good option for this job, Gamecocks have a number of roster issues for settle at the spring dance and your debut this fall will not be easy. Luke Doty’s development as a defender will be in the spotlight, and the defense will have to take significant steps forward after fighting in 2020.
For each new coach, the to-do list after the initial press conference is quite normal. The head coach must recruit, implement changes to the scheme, form a team of quality assistants and coordinators, discuss the potential impact of the NFL draft with juniors and work on any installation or support team requests. Needless to say, it’s a lot.
While every coach has these goals in mind, it is never too early to look at some of the staff concerns surrounding a program and a new coach for the coming year.
Here is an initial look at five personal question marks for Beamer to address in 2021:
South Carolina football: 5 priorities for new coach Shane Beamer in 2021
1. The Quarterback Room
With Collin Hill choosing to move on and Ryan Hilinski transferring to Northwestern, Luke Doty has the right path to winning the title of full quarterback. The South Carolina native brings an intriguing set of skills to the roster after being ranked as the # 4 double threat quarterback in the 2020 hiring class. Doty had his first taste of SEC action last fall, playing in eight games and starting in two. During that period, he hit 43 of 71 passes for 405 yards and two touchdowns for three choices. Doty also demonstrated his mobility by hitting 91 yards on 41 shipments. The new player, Marcus Satterfield, will spend the spring building an attack around Doty’s strengths, while also developing some of the other players due to lack of experience. St. Francis (Pa.) Transferred Jason Brown and new freshman Colten Gauthier will join 2021 to provide depth and battle for the backup job. Brown is an intriguing addition after launching 3,084 yards and 28 touchdowns for just six choices for Red Flash in 2019.
2. Identify multiple parts creators in WR
Shi Smith was responsible for 57 of the 175 South Carolina receptions in 2020 and his departure for the NFL leaves a void abroad. The tight end Nick Muse (30) is the statistical option with the highest return, and the running back Kevin Harris threw 21 catches last year. However, the two largest wide receivers after Smith in terms of receptions combined only 21 in 2020. With Smith’s departure, it is up to Josh Vann (10), Jalen Brooks (11) and Dakereon Joyner (seven) to face a greater role in the passing game. Ahmarean Brown, transferred from Georgia Tech, took 21 passes for 396 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019 and should be an impact addition for ’21. In addition, the 6-foot-7 EJ Jenkins transfer from San Francisco (Pa.) Is ready to push into the grooves. Gamecocks are fine here, so developing younger players and developing depth is crucial this spring.
3. Lean on the Backfield
Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M have deep backfields for 2021, but don’t forget what South Carolina returns. After receiving limited opportunities as a freshman in 20, Kevin Harris ran for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 185 attempts for Gamecocks last fall. He ran for more than 200 yards in games against Kentucky and Ole Miss and topped 100 in three other competitions. Harris may be among the SEC’s best running backs in 2021, but freshman MarShawn Lloyd is too talented to be left out. The Maryland native did not play last season due to a knee injury in the preseason, but was ranked number 43 in the 2020 signings category. Satterfield needs to find a way to involve players on the pitch to help improve a attack that got just 23.5 points per game last year.
4. Rebuild the secondary
Gamecocks returned one of the SEC’s best defensive backfields last season, but finished 13º in the league in defense of pass efficiency. A rush pass that generated just 14 sacks didn’t help much in the back end, but this area has to be rebuilt with the cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu leaving for the NFL. In addition, John Dixon (Penn State) and Jammie Robinson (Florida State) were transferred, while safety Shilo Sanders heads for Jackson State. A healthy season for Jaylin Dickerson would reinforce the security position, while veterans RJ Roderick and Jaylan Foster are back in 2021. In the off-season, the spotlight in the cornerback will be on the development of young players like Cam Smith, Joey Hunter and Darius Rush. David Spaulding, transferred from Georgia Southern, must also press for cornerback clicks.
5. Improve the game from the start
South Carolina ranked 13º in the SEC against the race and generated just 14 sacks in 10 games last season. It’s a cliché to some extent, but winning in the SEC requires a strong game in the trenches. And this unit has to be much better with the new coordinator Clayton White for the defense to take a step forward as a whole in the statistics. For Gamecocks to improve up front, former best recruits Zachh Pickens and Jordan Burch need to be a big part of the defensive rotation, and a healthy Aaron Sterling off the edge should help with the passing race. Tonka Hemingway is back after a promising freshman season, while veterans Kingsley Enagbare, Jabari Ellis and MJ Webb guarantee that there are many proven options. Linebacker Ernest Jones has led the team in tackles for each of the past two seasons, but is out of the NFL. A healthy Sherrod Greene, along with Georgia state transfer agent Jordan Strachan, should help alleviate some of the linebacker’s concern for Jones outside the NFL. Bridging the linebacker’s gaps and continuing to develop the game in the trenches are two keys if South Carolina wants to improve on this side of the ball in 2021.
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Photo courtesy of @CoachSBeamer)