16-in-16 2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks regressed in 2023 despite heroic efforts from Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette. Can Shane Beamer get the Cocks out of neutral and back on track this season?
By: Hammer
For a refresher on our ratings system, check out our 16-in-16 ratings guide here.
It’s been an interesting few years in Columbia, South Carolina since Shane Beamer took over. The vibes have been great. He’s a likable coach and their social media team always makes entertaining and heartwarming videos. When Beamer took over in 2021, things looked bleak. Beamer immediately invigorated the fanbase by leading the Gamecocks to a 7-6 record after a Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over North Carolina.
In 2022, South Carolina improved again, posting an 8-5 overall record and finishing ranked in the final poll for the first time since 2023. Then 2024 happened and the honeymoon period ended. The Gamecocks struggled last fall and finished 5-7, missing a bowl game for the first time under Beamer. The energetic young coach is now 20-18 overall in Columbia, and fans are beginning to get restless.
State of the Program: 6/12 biscuits. Right in the middle, there’s some hope, but it’s mostly bland; They look right, but they don’t taste like much.
If a 20-18 record over a three year tenure isn't right in the middle, then I don’t know what is. The Beamer era has been solid with a few big wins, but this program seems to be stuck in limbo. They just can’t quite take a big step forward. South Carolina has been recruiting well under Beamer, but in the hyper competitive SEC his classes that ranked #24, #16 and #22 nationally have been middle of the road or in the bottom half of the conference.
South Carolina is a program stuck in neutral, and they have been throughout nearly their entire history with the exception of a few years under Steve Spurrier. It’s not time to give up on Beamer, he has done some good things and the program is in a better spot than it was under his predecessor Will Muschamp. But SEC fan bases expect to win and the Gamecocks faithful are starting to squirm in their seats a bit.
What went right in 2023?
You have to squint here to find things that went well for the Gamecocks in 2023. Unfortunately, rather than full position units or a side of the ball that shined, it was more individuals who performed well. First up, Xavier Legette was a certified baller last season. The senior wideout caught 71 passes for 1255 yards and seven touchdowns. The breakout season resulted in Legette being picked in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. He was one of the most electric players in the country to watch play college football in 2023.
Spencer Rattler also deserves a shout out here. For all the hate he has gotten, much of it deserved from early in his career, Rattler had a good 2023 season. Despite playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the country, Rattler completed 68.9% of his passes for 3,189 yards, 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The entire offense basically ran through these two players because South Carolina couldn’t run the ball to save their life.
What went wrong in 2023?
Quite a bit. First of all, we can’t forget that Shane Beamer broke his foot kicking a Gatorade cooler after a tough loss to Florida last fall. Something definitely went wrong there. Those kinds of frustrations are common when things on the field are going how they went for the 2023 Gamecocks. They couldn't run the ball at all, finishing 129th in the country in rushing offense. That left Rattler running for his life in the passing game and the Gamecocks only managed to score 26 points per game, putting them at a middling 76th in the country. Not good enough.
Unfortunately, the defense wasn’t much better. In fact, they were about as below average as the offense, allowing 26.3 points per game and finishing 66th in total defense. After two years of overachieving, 2023 was a tough year of regression across the board for South Carolina.
What the Gamecocks need in 2024
Two words: LaNorris Sellers. The second-year QB has to produce in 2024 if the Gamecocks want to accomplish anything. At 6 foot 3, 245 pounds Sellers is a physically imposing, athletic QB. By all accounts, he has the tools to be a really productive player. However, we haven’t seen it yet. He only threw four passes all last season so this will truly be his first time playing any meaningful college football. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn’t and a player takes some time to get into a groove. South Carolina needs Sellers to be good and be good quickly, otherwise this season will get away from them.
Like most teams in modern college football, South Carolina also needs some transfers to produce in 2024. Beamer and company hauled in the 16th-rated transfer portal class this offseason that included 22 transfers. With losses like Juice Wells on offense (who headed to Ole Miss, to the chagrin of USC players), they needed to bring in some playmakers on offense. Former Arkansas running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders will need to be that guy. We’ve seen him run for over 1,400 yards in the SEC so he can be a big-time playmaker. He needs the offensive line to improve dramatically to open up some holes. The offensive line also needs to protect their brand-new starter Sellers at QB. If the offensive line shows dramatic improvement and Sellers can make plays, it'll be a fun year in Columbia.
How they can earn some extra biscuits
If South Carolina wins 6-7 games this fall, I’m not sure that would justify earning more biscuits. I need 8 wins out of this group before I start giving away extra biscuits. Beamer has done it once already in Columbia, so do it again and show that this team and program are back on track.
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