What to expect for Shane Beamer’s first early signing period as South Carolina coach
Shane Beamer has been on the job as South Carolina football’s new head coach for less than two weeks, but come Wednesday he’ll hit his first major milestone: the early signing period.
In the world of college football recruiting, the start of the early signing period in December has become the busiest day of the year, with the majority of recruits putting pen to paper and officially joining programs.
For Beamer and South Carolina, it might be a little less hectic this go-around, given the short turnaround since his hiring.
After the Gamecocks parted ways with Will Muschamp, their 2021 recruiting class dropped to 10 commitments. Of those 10, eight are planning to sign Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether Beamer will push hard to find more players to sign right away or wait until the traditional signing period in February. He also could choose to use those spots on the transfer market.
THE NUMBERS
South Carolina’s 10-player class is comprised of nine high-schoolers and one junior college commit. It’s currently the smallest class in the SEC — and ranked last in the conference, according to the 247Sports Composite ratings. Nationally, the Gamecocks are 90th, or third-lowest among Power 5 programs.
All 10 of the players currently committed are considered three-star prospects, per the 247Sports Composite that factors in all recruiting networks.
SKILL PLAYERS ON TOP
The top three commitments expected to sign Wednesday all contribute at skill spots on offense: quarterback Colton Gauthier, running back Caleb McDowell and wide receiver Sam Reynolds. The Gamecocks have three receivers in the class, hoping to bolster a unit that struggled with depth throughout this season.
The Gamecocks have four linemen committed, two each on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, as well as one defensive back.
NOT SIGNING YET
Given the short period of time Beamer’s been on the job, it’s not all that surprising that a couple commitments have decided to wait until the February signing period to officially join the Gamecocks. Chief among those players are a pair of South Carolina natives — defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, from Marion, and wide receiver O’Mega Blake, from South Pointe. Those two are USC’s second- and third-highest rated recruits at the moment.
KEEPING AN EYE ON THE DECOMMITS
After Muschamp was fired, South Carolina had six prospects break their commitments to the Gamecocks. Of those players, four have already committed to new schools, with another, George Wilson, set to announce his choice Friday among three finalists that don’t include USC. But some have indicated to reporters that they’re open to talking to Beamer. It will be interesting to see if Beamer can convince any of them to flip back to South Carolina or at least wait until February to sign to give him a chance to re-recruit them.
JUCO JUNCTION?
One South Carolina commit, defensive back Marcellas Dial, is currently in junior college at Georgia Military. But he might not be the only JUCO prospect joining the Gamecocks before this is all said and done. He has a pair of uncommitted teammates — defensive end Byron Young and cornerback Isaiah Norris — who both hold South Carolina offers and have spoken to Beamer since his hiring. Both are also Palmetto State natives as well, so keep an eye on them through this early signing period and into February.
SOUTH CAROLINA 2021 COMMITMENTS
- Colton Gauthier — quarterback, Dacula, Georgia
- Caleb McDowell — running back, Leesburg, Georgia
- Derwin Burgess Jr. — wide receiver, Riverdale, Georgia
- Jordan Davis — offensive lineman, Fairburn, Georgia
- Nicholas Barrett — defensive lineman, Goldsboro, North Carolina
- Marcellas Dial — defensive back, Milledgeville, Georgia
- JonDarius Morgan — offensive lineman, Birmingham, Alabama
- Sam Reynolds — wide receiver, Alabaster, Alabama
- O’Mega Blake — wide receiver, Rock Hill, South Carolina
- T.J. Sanders — defensive lineman, Marion, South Carolina
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What to expect for Shane Beamer’s first early signing period as South Carolina coach."
