SOTC Update: South Carolina Gamecocks

This is the State of the Chart™ update for Shane Beamer's South Carolina Gamecocks.

Feb 15, 2025

State of the Chart™ Recap Edition

Live All-In Ranking: 16th
Offense: 33rd
Defense: 14th
2024 Results: 9-4 (5-3 in SEC)

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|||||| STATE OF THE CHART™ SUMMARY

Shane Beamer has this program on the uptick and the 2024 season really could have been special. They were considered to the end as a potential entrant into the first 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) and if the committee could have seen where our ‘deserved Win’ (dWIN) stat ended up, maybe they should have. The loss to Illinois in the bowl game didn’t do a whole lot to justify all that talk, but it was a very good season for the Gamecocks. They managed an early injury to their star quarterback LaNorris Sellers and the defense set up shop in opposing backfields. Just about every coach on the staff earned a raise and perhaps none more deserving than defensive coordinator Clayton White. They lose their offensive coordinator to a head coaching job, but an internal hire should keep the continuity and likely the scheme from changing with Mike Shula being elevated to the play caller role after a season as an analyst. The only unit on the team that fell slightly behind the competition was the offensive line, but it was handled with some freak athletes in the backfield, including Sellers, Rocket Sanders and Oscar Adaway III. Looking ahead to 2025, Beamer is doing a solid job keeping talent around and are pulling a top-25 recruiting class as well. This group has shown an ability to identify talent and develop it — much of that has been poached in recent years, the hope is to buck that trend and keep this ship moving in the right direction.

|||||| HEAD COACH AND COACHING STAFF

The job Shane Beamer has done at South Carolina can be described as nearly miraculous. He has built this program back to relevance despite his roster consistently being poached by the “bigger” programs. He and his staff have an eye for talent, relates to the players and are turning it into wins. Now, the challenge always remains to try to gain that consistency and keep the program at this level. Beamer appears up to the task.

Beamer is known as a fiery competitor and it was never more on display than in the bowl game against Illinois this year. He did not take lightly the taunts from opposing head coach Bret Bielema and was visibly screaming at him from his sideline. In case you missed it, it’s worth a watch »

Coaching Staff Notes/Changes:

With offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains heading to Appalachian State as their newest head coach, Beamer moved quickly to promote Mike Shula to the offensive play calling role. Shula is a veteran in the coaching industry and was an easy promotion from his role as an offensive analyst the past two seasons in Columbia.
Loggains took assistant tight ends coach Ryan Yurachek with him to Boone and gave him a promote to full-time tight ends coach. Yurachek learned under former head coach Shawn Elliott, who is the current tight ends coach and run game coordinator.
The entire coaching staff received raises after the 9-4 campaign in 2024. Head coach Shane Beamer made sure to take care of the men who helped make this happen. And (so far) they are all sticking around for 2025. Beamer himself is now amongst the top highest paid coaches with his most recent bump as well.

Note: This is a “dynamic” article; meaning we will update any information that comes in this “off-season” and post a note when impactful moves are made or news breaks.

|||||| 2024 SCHEDULE / RESULTS ANALYSIS

You certainly can’t attribute the nine-win season to a weak schedule. Sure, the non-conference games were nothing (Old Dominion, Akron and Wofford), but the SEC slate was tough, despite avoiding Texas and Georgia. They always have the rivalry game with Clemson that makes this tough annually. They finished on a six-game winning streak, including wins over top 25 programs Texas A&M and on the road in that Clemson game. Post-game win expectancy (PGWE) numbers say that they should have beat LSU in that back-and-forth thriller early on in week three. Their only other two regular season losses were to Ole Miss and a toss-up in Tuscaloosa that went the way of the Crimson Tide. Star quarterback LaNorris Sellers was banged up in the LSU game and it lingered a bit through that stretch after sitting the Akron game in week four and resting up over the bye. The Illinois bowl game was a bummer to end the season but it hardly put a damper on what was a step forward season - which could have been even better with a few bounces. In fact, in our ‘deserved Wins’ (dWIN) advanced stat, this should have been a 12-win team.

||||||| POSITION GROUP CHECK-INS

OFFENSE: The hiring of Dowell Loggains as offensive coordinator prior to the 2023 season was one many scrutinized. He did a good enough job here to earn a head coaching role at Appalachian State for 2025. He had talent to work with, especially under center with LaNorris Sellers breaking through in 2024 and no slouch in Spencer Rattler before him. Rocket Sanders, when healthy, proved to be a nice commodity at running back as well. He pulled the right strings to get this group to 30.5 points per game, which doesn’t jump off the page, but they also played some stiff defensive competition throughout the year. They were run-heavy under Loggains, partially because of Sellers’ tendency to tuck-and-run, utilizing his off-the-charts athletic ability to get first downs and create explosive plays. Their run play rate of 61% was in the top 15 nationally. Establishing the run allowed for an efficient passing game that while they didn’t put up big cumulative passing numbers (223.4 yards per game), they did hit on 8.5 yards per play (14th). Mike Shula will take over the play calling duties and we shouldn’t expect much to change. Sellers will be back and a Heisman candidate. Don’t mess with success.

||| QB

The LaNorris Sellers hype is real. He lived up to it with a dynamic mix of run/pass ability. He has three years of eligibility remaining. Robby Ashford was the backup and called upon in the Akron game while Sellers nursed an injury. He moves on to Wake Forest for ‘25. Sellers returns as a top Heisman candidate and they also worked to get their future addressed with luring Air Noland, a 5-star recruit in the class of ‘24, to come over from Ohio State.

||| RB

Rocket Sanders come over from Arkansas and did his thing, when he physically could. He ended up playing in most (12) games, but missed parts of other game that impacted this running game. Oscar Adaway III was more than capable in relief and Juju McDowell played third fiddle. With all three of them moving on, they turn to the portal to bring in veteran Rahsul Faison, who is coming off a 1,100+ yard, eight touchdown performance for Utah State in ‘24. He likely joins up with Jawarn Howell and/or Bradley Dunn to handle the duties.

||| WR

Nobody seemed to want to take full hold of the “go to” role in this group. They really lacked any dynamic playmakers from this group. The youngsters (Nyck Harbor and Mazeo Bennett Jr.) jumped ahead of the portal pick-ups (Gage Lavardain and Jared Brown) to lead, though neither had over 30 catches. Lavardain graduates, as does deep threat Dalevon Campbell. The rest return and now is the time for us to see that 5-star pedigree from Harbor. They have not hit the portal hard but did bring in five in ‘25 class, four of which are 4-star recruits.

||| TE

Joshua Simon was the go-to in the passing game for Sellers (by far). His 55 targets dwarfed anybody else on the team. He hauled in 40 of them for 519 yards and seven touchdowns. He runs out of eligibility and they bring in Jordan Dingle from Kentucky. He caught nine passes in 2024 and isn't in the same mold as Simon, but it could also be just be opportunity that he needs. Michael Smith and/or Brady Hunt will put up for a larger role as well.

Shout to CambodianMilk_ for the heads up on Jordan Dingle coming in from Kentucky. We missed that on our original post.

||| OL

As is often the case with a mobile quarterback, the offensive line usually grades out a little worse. All of those scrambles count against them (deserved or not) in the player-level data. So, this group comes in as a below average offensive line. Left tackle Josiah Thompson comes in under a 10 rating, which is shocking for a starting tackle in the SEC. The interior of this line is moving on with the bookends sticking around, including Thompson and Cason Henry on the other side. They hit the portal to bring in Nick Sharpe from Wake Forest, who will take on one of those guard spots. They will need others to step up into roles and get this improved, whether the numbers bear it out or not.

DEFENSE: Sellers and company on the offensive side of the ball get most of the press, but it was this Clayton White-led defense that was really the better side. They were downright impressive in just about every facet. They finished up in the top-20 nationally in most counting statistics and the talent level matches up with that. They got after the quarterback, racking up 41 sacks (6th) and 87 tackles for loss (27th). That was generated by a dynamic defensive line. They stuffed the run, allowing just 3.21 yards per tote (13th) and the secondary played well behind them for the most part. Despite giving up too many explosive plays (39 plays of 30+ yards) through the air. The LSU game looked like they had no answers. They dominated against the weak(er) opponents, holding to single-digits on the scoreboard four times (Kentucky, Akron, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt). They also kept some really potent offenses in Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M well below their averages. Finally, they stiffened on fourth down, allowing just seven conversions (in 23 attempts) from opponents. That’s a 30.4% conversion rate, tops in the nation. Their red zone defense allowed touchdowns on 50% of trips, also in the top 20. White earned a raise and keeping him around is a big retention for Beamer and this Gamecocks defensive unit.

||| DL

As usual, this defensive line produced a ton of pressure on opposing offenses. They have a star in true freshman Dylan Stewart, who came in as a big-time recruit and produced right away. He’s one of the best pure pass rushers in the SEC already. Kyle Kennard managed ten sacks and others chipped in to create a deep and dynamic defensive line unit. Unfortunately, three of the top four in the rotation are moving on, either via graduation or NFL Draft. They develop players here and as long as Stewart is around, this will be a good group.

||| LB

This was a solid group, led by Demetrius Knight Jr., Debo Williams and Bam Martin Scott. All of them run out of eligiblity and a big rebuild is needed here. Fred “JayR” Johnson is returning and will need to take one a much bigger role. Bangally Kamara was one of the first transfers out after pulling himself after four games to preserve a year of eligibility. Expect to see more of Jaron Willis and Wendell Gregory. They bring in Justin Okoronokwo from Alabama, who didn’t see much time for the Tide, but could be the next great reclamation project here.

||| DB

The starters here were top notch with Nick Emmanwori (SS), Jalon Kilgore (NB), DQ Smith (FS) and O’Donnell Fortune (CB) all playing major roles. CB Judge Collier was also a primary contributor and a solid performer. They then had players like Peyton Williams to play ancillary roles and the data says he was starter quality. They will lose Emmanwori (NFL) and Fortune (out of eligibility) but a good amount returns and they add in a big transfer CB in Brandon Cisse from NC State. This should be just as good, if not improved.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Gamecocks had one of the best punters in the nation in Kai Kroger, who dropped 19 inside the opponents 20-yard line and had a 75-yard boomer this season. Kicker Alex Herrera was also pretty good, though they didn’t really trust him on the longer (50+ yards out) kicks. Both graduate and they will need to find replacements. Juju McDowell handled the kickoff and punt returns and fared well in both. He also moves along, so this specialists group will need a rebuild. The punt coverage held opponents to a 4.0 average on returns; ranked 13th in the nation.

Reader feedback is requested and encouraged! Who knows these teams better than their passionate fan bases? We don’t pretend to know it all and would love your feedback. We will update/edit based (and credit) for anything that is brought to our attention. Let’s do this together…

|||||| TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

Anything in the “green” below is a really good overall ‘score’ for the portal talent churn. The Gamecocks have been ravaged by losses in the portal the past couple of seasons but haven’t let it ruin their ascension to the middle-top of the SEC. This year, thus far, they are faring well. They lost a backup quarterback (Robby Ashford) to Wake Forest. It’s not nothing, as he is a solid, veteran backup. Bangally Kamara was one of the first 2025 cycle portal commitments, leaving for Kansas. He didn’t contribute much before his announcement to transfer out. The big portal additions include Rahsul Faison, who will step into a role at running back to help ease the loss of Rocket Sanders. CB Brandon Cisse is coming over from North Carolina State and likely takes on a starting role in the secondary. Nick Sharpe is a starting quality guard transfer in from Wake Forest. He will step into a starting role right away at one of the open guard spots. Overall, they are doing what they need to do to keep this thing rolling onward and upward.

Below is a screen shot of the full, live Transfer Portal Tracker over at CFBDepth.com. Click the image or the button below to view it in its entirety…

Live South Carolina Portal Tracker >

|||||| 2025 RECRUITING CLASS

A solid showing here in the recruiting class as well. They really loaded up on wide receivers, getting commitments from three, 4-star prospects. Two of which are in state. In fact, they seem to have done a nice job keeping a lot of talent in South Carolina around. The defensive line got a nice haul as well, with eight (!) players coming in from this class, led by two 4-stars, Jaquavious Dodd (SC) and Donovan Darden (NC).

Here is a snapshot of the 2025 Recruiting Class+ with a link to the live page with updates throughout the cycle:

2025 South Carolina Recruiting Class + >

|||||| 2025 SCHEDULE LOOK AHEAD

Things only appear to get tougher for the Gamecocks in 2025. Their series with Virginia Tech begins in a week one showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That will set the tone for the season. They must travel to Death Valley (LSU), Oxford (Ole Miss) and College Station (A&M). They get Oklahoma and Alabama at home. The Clemson series shifts back to Columbia for the final week of the season. This is sure to be a top 15-schedule when it is all said and done.

There is a lot of movement and decisions to be made throughout the off-season, including more portal moves, winter workouts and spring ball. Get all caught up with the full-on State of the Chart Magazine coming in July. If you missed the ad before, get more information and give us your e-mail to stay in the loop on everything SOTC!

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