Shane Beamer happy with early returns at linebacker post-scrimmage
When Shane Beamer took over at South Carolina, one of the things he needed to do was build the depth back up in the linebacker room.
The Gamecocks bided their time with Sherrod Greene and Brad Johnson anchoring that position while adding pieces to that room.
With both Greene and Johnson gone now, it’s time for that group of young linebackers to step up. They all got a chance to show what they can do in last Saturday’s scrimmage with each guy showing some good things.
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“I think all of them flashed at times,” Beamer said. “That’s a group that’s got more depth than what it did last year.”
The anchors at linebacker this spring are redshirt junior Debo Williams and sophomore Stone Blanton. Beamer shared that he’s been impressed with both their play and leadership.
“I think Debo and Stone, they really work at it,” Beamer said. “They’re doing a good job of making calls and getting guys lined up and they made some nice physical plays on Saturday.”
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Redshirt junior Mohamed Kaba is not practicing right now as he continues to rehab a knee injury. With him largely on the sideline, it’s opened the door to divvy out more reps for redshirt freshman and Ole Miss transfer Jaron Willis and four-star freshman Pup Howard.
Beamer said he likes the speed the linebackers are playing with and said he always notices Howard around the ball. In addition to the new faces, a veteran in the position room has impressed his head coach.
“Bam Scott, you know, he’s a guy that can do a lot of things,” Beamer said. “So, it’s a group that’s really working and getting better.”
As a key position on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker was a spot the Gamecocks had to increase the competition in.
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The team added depth through multiple routes and Beamer also highlighted the impact of a versatile pair of redshirt sophomores who joined the team this spring.
“Our young walk-ons Andrew Colasurdo, Ronnie Porter, they’re flashing and have done some nice things on special teams,” Beamer said.
Beamer said the coaching staff has learned a lot from reviewing the scrimmage footage. As the spring game inches closer, he asserted that the team has depth with unique skillsets at linebacker.
