Shane Beamer, South Carolina FB Head Coach

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It's caught by Isaiah Bond in the corner of the end zone. Touchdown, Alabama! We can't wait for the 2024 season. And we're counting down the days to kick off. Are we there yet? No. Are we there yet? I said no. Are we there yet?

What's wrong with your ears? Here is your college football fix only on the Zach Gelb show. That's what I'm talking about. 109 days away until South Carolina kicks off its season against Old Dominion. Now joining us is the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

And that, of course, is Coach Shane Beamer. Kind enough to join us once again on the Zach Gelb show. Coach, appreciate the time as always.

Thanks so much for it. And how you been? It's been great.

Always appreciate you having me on and looking forward to it. You know, I had some good barbecue a few weeks ago at this place in New York City called the Mason Jar. And they're big South Carolina fans, big South Carolina bar.

Spencer Rattler's been there before. And they mentioned that I knew Coach Shane Beamer through what I do. And man, I got a lot of free food at that place, Coach. So thank you very much. You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. I've heard amazing things about the Mason Jar.

I literally was just talking this morning with someone that lives in New York City. And that's a Gamecock. And we were talking about the Mason Jar.

So great spot. Encourage all Gamecocks to get over there on Saturdays in the fall. Well, let's do this. Let's talk about last season first before we get to this season. We know what you've done recently.

7 and 6, 8 and 5. And last year, you guys ended up going 5 and 7. How do you look back at last season? Look back at obviously not our expectations, not what we wanted by any stretch of the imagination. We, you know, we did not play. We were just too inconsistent in all three phases. And we dealt with injuries, not to make an excuse, but we lost 12 players to season-ending injuries that were significant contributors. We, you know, started five true freshmen. So at that point, now after the season, me as the head coach, you really have to look back and ask yourself, you know, why and how we can be better, how we can stay healthier.

Are there things that we need to tweak, whether it be training, practice, whatever it might be. So I'm proud of the way we finished. We were, you know, at one point we were sitting there two and six, and we won three out of our last four games and had a chance to win the last game against Clemson and get bowl eligible.

And, you know, we didn't allow Clemson to score an offensive touchdown, but we still lost the game, which is really, really tough way to lose. But one of those things, we certainly grew from it. We learned from it.

And there's no question we are better because of it and excited about 2024 and beyond. Yeah, outside of the injury part, Coach, I'm just wondering, like, what specifically did you learn from last season when you get hit with a little adversity as the first two years things were going in a very successful direction? I learned we got the right people in our program.

You know, we, it would have been very easy. We had some, we had some tough, tough losses and heartbreaking losses. I mean, we were up two scores to Florida with under 10 minutes left in the game and lost and had Georgia down 14 to 3 at halftime, and we couldn't finish in the second half. You know, some really tough losses, but found out that we had the right kind of people that a lot of teams when you're sitting there two and six could have easily folded up. And we did, and our guys continued to fight and compete.

So that was a, that was a great testament to the people in our program. And then, you know, a lot of things that just, we just, like I said, too inconsistent. We didn't run the ball well enough.

We, we, we gave up too many explosives defensively, particularly early in the season, you know, situational football. We need to be better on third down, particularly offensively. So there's a lot of stuff that you look at and learn from just like we did after the 2021 season when we won seven games. And just like we did after 2022, when we won eight games, you learn after every season and figure out how you could be better the next year and last year into this year is no different.

Shane Beamer here with us talking a little bit about South Carolina football as we gear up for their season 109 days away. I read a quote via the daily game cock from Clayton white, your defensive coordinator to me, the way things went last year. And for most of our defensive guys to come back to me, that says a lot about our culture, our program, the defense that we have here and what guys really want. Everybody has options, coaches and players, all have options and we're back.

So like you said, it tells you, you have the right people there now with getting a lot of guys coming back that maybe you thought would have left be the trans reporter or go and go somewhere else. What do you want to challenge your defense to kind of look like and do this upcoming season? Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly with that quote and Clayton white, our defensive coordinator is exactly right. I mean, we, we, we bring our top four defensive tackles back. All four of those are, all four of those guys are going into either their fourth or fifth year in the program. We bring back our top two linebackers. We bring back, bring back three of our top four defensive backs. So we got a core group of guys that are returning. They're older guys that are going into their fourth year or fifth year in our program.

So my challenge would be for them to take the next step. You know, we played pretty good defense down the stretch last season. We, we went through some lumps early in the season. There's no doubt about it, but, you know, we played, played pretty good football. We held, held Kentucky in our, in our 11th game to 14 points in the final game against Clemson.

Clemson did not score an offensive touchdown. We held on the three field goals defensively. And now the key is going to be, can we continue to build on that and be even better this season?

We should be. We, we bring back those guys. We're experienced, but at every single position in the front seven, we're deeper and we're more athletic. You know, one of our issues last year defensively is just a lack of depth at times. And, and this year we have so much more depth, which I'm excited about at the linebacker position, at the defensive tackle position, and at the outside linebacker position as well. So eager to see those guys take the step and, and be, be an even better version of the defense they were at the end of the season. Shane Beamer is my guest right now, your quarterback Lenores Sellers replacing Spencer Rattler, who's off to the NFL.

He's won the job. What has stood out to you with the off season that Lenores had? Yeah, we named Lenores the starting quarterback coming out of spring practice and told Lenores and told the other quarterbacks, you know, it's Lenores' job to continue to earn this thing throughout the summer.

And we're going to continue to compete at every position, not just quarterback and the guy that gives us the best chance to beat, to win the football game against Old Dominion in game one, the guy that's going to be out there. But Lenores is a guy that came in last season as a freshman. He played in three games and we were able to redshirt him. Every game he was able to play in, he just, he performed.

And he's one of those guys, just the crazier the moment around them, the calmer and more poised he is. He's a winner that won a state championship in high school here in South Carolina. He's worked really hard in the weight room, worked really hard in the meeting room to get better as a quarterback, worked really hard on the field. A young guy but has a big upside and has the confidence and the belief of the players around him in the locker room.

Now, outside of leadership, if you just talk about his play style, if someone has never seen him play, what type of player is he on the field? Yeah, he's a big player. He's a big kid. He's, you know, he's 235, 240 pounds and throws the ball very well. That's what he did in high school. But he has an element of being able to run the football as well.

And, you know, just very poised and can do a lot with his arm and do a lot with his feet. And again, he's a freshman. I mean, we're very young.

He's very young and we've got to be great around him. But, you know, all of our court... The wait is over.

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Price and coverage match limited by state law. We actually like their athleticism. Robbie Ashford is a transfer from Auburn.

It's a similar skill set to Lenores. Close to a 230-pound plus guy that can make plays with his arm and his feet. Luke Doty is back for his fifth year in our program. We brought in a transfer, brought in a freshman. So, we've got a compliment, our skill set in that quarterback room that they all compliment each other.

Excited to watch them all continue to compete. Let me talk a few more minutes with Shane Bieber, the head football coach at South Carolina. Some of your former players, Avery LeGette gets drafted at the end of the first round to the Carolina Panthers who trade up to get him. What do you think he'll bring that organization as they try to get Bryce Young back to the player that a lot of us got to see in the SEC at Alabama?

Yeah, Avery LeGette, he's a fantastic person first and foremost. He'll make that Panthers organization better on and off the field. He's a great young man, but extremely hard worker, never satisfied, made himself into the player that he was this past season and no one deserves it more. He's a guy that I think can help the Panthers in a lot of different ways. Xavier was a guy that even before the season he had this year offensively, he would have been drafted just for his ability to play special teams.

The cover kick to return kicks. He can do all that and now the ability to play receiver as well. He'll help the Panthers in so many ways and excited to follow his career. And obviously Spencer Rattler has been under the spotlight for a bunch of years going back to Oklahoma. And then obviously with your program the last two years, I was surprised that he ended up going in the fifth round.

I thought the latest it would be the fourth round. But when he got that call from the Saints and you found out he was going there, just what was your reaction? Yeah, excited for him. I agree with you. Shocked that he didn't go earlier than what he did.

But it is what it is. Those things happen. Like I told Spencer, the most important thing is he got an opportunity. So he has an opportunity and I know he'll take care of the rest. I think his best football is in front of him. He's not your typical rookie quarterback. He's been through a lot if you talk about his career at Oklahoma, his career here at South Carolina. His best football is still in front of him though. And Spencer was a very motivated, competitive football player. But going a little bit later in the draft and what we all anticipated, we'll do nothing but motivate him even more. And really looking forward to the next step for him. When you hear after the draft that maybe how he was portrayed in the QB1 documentary in high school is the reason why he did fall. What's the thought on that?

Is that something you just laugh at and go, if that's the case, that's ridiculous? Yeah, I think that's an absolute joke. I'd be really, really, really disappointed if there were NFL teams that were basing decisions on who to draft based off a show about a potential draft pick that took place six, seven years ago when he was a 16-year-old in high school or whatever he was. My respect, I have great respect, it's for the NFL teams that called me, that talked to me, that spent time around Spencer, spent time around our program and found out what he's really about. And that is a guy that is an unbelievable young man, great family, that's a two-time captain at the University of South Carolina.

So if there's any baggage with you, if you're not a good teammate, your teammates aren't going to elect you one of their permanent captains once, much less twice like happened here in Columbia. Last thing I'll ask you, Coach Shane Beamer, we know what you guys did before last season, seven and six, eight and five. Last year you guys go five and seven. Let's just say if someone called you up and they go, hey, I'm a South Carolina fan, but now I'm concerned about the program, I'm wondering why we're still moving in the right direction. Since I'm speaking to the head honcho of the program, why is this program still moving in the right direction under your leadership?

Yeah, I think we dealt with some adversity last year and we're better for it. All you have to do is look at, like you just said, the players that returned to our program for another year. Let's talk about what we're doing academically.

Our grades just came out today. We just had the third highest grade point average for a semester in the history of the South Carolina football program, and we've had two of the five highest GPAs in the history of the program the last three semesters. You look at the way that we've recruited. You look at the young talent in our program. Last season, I get it, record-wise, it wasn't what we wanted, but we made progress regardless of the record, and we're better this year before up because of it. We've got some unbelievable people in our program, and there's a strong work ethic and a strong desire in our program right now to get this program to levels that it's never been before.

We're going to win championships here, and we're well on our way. Coach, appreciate the time as always. Thanks so much, and good luck as we get set to gear up for the season in 109 days. Yeah, appreciate it. Be here before you know it. Thanks for all you do.

Take care. You got it. There he is, Shane Beamer, the head football coach at South Carolina.

Always appreciate his time joining us for a little college football fix right here on the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network. Okay, picture this. It's Friday afternoon when a thought hits you. I can waste another weekend doing the same old whatever, or I can conquer it. I can hop into my all-new Hyundai Santa Fe and hit the road, any road, the steeper the better, because my all-new Santa Fe is available with H-TRAC all-wheel drive so I can hit the trail without a worry in the world. Heck, with three rows and best-in-class rear cargo space, I can pack the whole family in with all our gear.

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