'He's got a chance to be big time': Beamer talks Vicari Swain signing
South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer was finally able to address the signing of Vicari Swain.
Swain signed with the Gamecocks after Beamer spoke with the media on National Signing Day. That meant Beamer could not answer questions about him during his press conference that afternoon.
Beamer had high praises for Swain on Monday after South Carolina’s first bowl practice in Jacksonville, mentioning his versatility and athleticism.
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“(He’s a) talented athlete, defensive back, wide receiver,” Beamer said. “We think he’s got a chance to be big-time.”
Swain–who will begin his career as a defensive back–is listed as a four-star athlete and the No. 357 player in the consensus. He’s the No. 11 athlete in the 2023 class.
On3 is much higher on Swain than the industry, listing him as the No. 104 player nationally and the third-best athlete.
Beamer compared him to another member of the Gamecocks 2023 signing class in Jalon Kilgore. Another recruit from the state of Georgia, Kilgore is a four-star safety who ranked similarly in the consensus ratings.
“I talked to you guys about Jalon Kilgore, and how every time every week when I watched his tape, he was just making all kinds of plays in all three phases,” Beamer said. “It’s the same thing with Vicari as well. We’re really excited about him.”
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Much like Kilgore, Beamer said he expects to start Swain off in the secondary. That being said, he hasn’t closed the door on Swain getting time on the other side of the ball.
“With Vicari, (he’ll be) starting out at defensive back and then kind of going from there. I mean, the more you can do the better. But for us, we think he’s got a chance to be a really, really talented defensive back,” Beamer said.
“Certainly there’s no question what he can do with the ball in his hands, and in the return game, and things like that as well. He’s a really good football player but we’ll start him at defensive back and then kind of go from there.”
Although Swain committed to South Carolina in August, Beamer and his staff did have to deal with a late push from Deion Sanders and Colorado.
Swain took an official visit to Colorado the weekend before National Signing Day. His commitment to play college football in Columbia never wavered.
“You already know, South Carolina,” Swain said, while he signed his letter of intent donning a South Carolina hat.
