Shane Beamer details latest additions to South Carolina’s new-look wide receiver corps
There are few things that can sugarcoat a 5-7 season without postseason football. As far as South Carolina is concerned, the silver lining of the 2024 campaign was the potency of its passing attack.
This past season, the Gamecocks’ passing game ranked third in the SEC. South Carolina averaged 287 passing yards per game, behind only LSU (334.3 yards) and Georgia (305.6).
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If the Gamecocks are looking to continue this trend next year, they will have to do so with different personnel.
Part of the team’s success through the air stemmed from having an elite quarterback in Spencer Rattler, who was South Carolina’s starting signal caller the past two seasons. Rattler declared for the NFL Draft this offseason, opening the role up for LaNorris Sellers – or another quarterback from the transfer portal – to take.
In addition to Rattler, the Gamecocks will be without four of its top five receiving options next year. Xavier Legette, the team’s leader in receiving yards last season, will likely be an early-round NFL draft pick in April. Ahmarean Brown and Trey Knox, two veterans on South Carolina’s roster, ran out of eligibility. And O’Mega Blake, who stepped up into a larger role last year after injuries to teammates, entered the transfer portal and recently committed to East Carolina.
One of Blake’s injured teammates, Juice Wells, will also not be returning to the program next year. Wells, an All-SEC First Team receiver in 2022, announced his decision to transfer to Ole Miss on Dec. 17.
Shane Beamer recognized that wide receiver was a position of need following these departures. He made it his goal this offseason to bolster depth there through recruiting and the transfer portal this offseason.
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“Certainly, we needed to – and still do – continue to upgrade that receiver room, without a doubt,” Beamer said. “The depth in there, also, we got some good players currently on our team that need to take another step.”
South Carolina quickly addressed its depth concerns at wide receiver by adding Jared Brown from the transfer portal shortly after it opened. Brown spent the past three seasons at Coastal Carolina, caught 58 passes for 740 yards and four touchdowns last year.
“Jared’s a guy who did some really productive things (and) caught a lot of balls for Coastal this season. Talking to the coaches at Coastal, (they) couldn’t say enough good things about him as a person,” Beamer said. “(I’m) glad that he’s a Gamecock.”
South Carolina’s receiving room was further reinforced by the addition of its top receiving prospect from the class of 2024 – four-star Greenville (SC) wideout Mazeo Bennett. Bennett was listed by the On3 Industry Ranking as the fourth-best prospect in South Carolina, the 40th-best wide receiver nationally, and the No. 222 overall recruit in this year’s class.
Beamer said that Bennett’s competitive nature makes him stick out compared to other prospects at the position.
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“Last summer, Greenville (High School) was here for the 7-on-7 camp that we had. Just seeing him out there on the field and the competitive spirit that he has. I don’t want to say he becomes a different person, but there’s a different level that he reaches when competition starts,” Beamer said. “I’m excited about adding that to our program.”
The Gamecocks added a second receiving recruit to its roster following the commitment of Debron Gatling on National Signing Day. Gatling, a three-star wideout from Milton (GA), previously committed to Texas A&M. The On3 Industry Ranking rated him as the 73rd-best prospect from Georgia, the 99th-best wide receiver, and the No. 626 recruit in this year’s class.
“(He’s) somebody that, in the springtime, (we) liked and watched on tape. He committed to A&M, and then opened things back up, and got him here on a visit,” Beamer said. “(I) really enjoyed getting to know him.”
Beamer said it was important to add proven winners who could contribute early in their college careers. He believes he has two players who fit that mold in Bennett and Gatling.
“Debron just won a state championship. Mazeo’s team had a really good year as well, so two winners that are coming into our program that are coming into a position that we need them to be ready right now,” Beamer said. “We’ll get them here for spring practice and have a chance get going with them.”
