Shane Beamer talks punter battle, other position competitions
There are a few position battles taking center stage as South Carolina preseason camp rages, but in Shane Beamer’s eyes every spot is still up for grabs.
When asked how many spots are still up for grabs after a week, Beamer was quick with his answer.
“Twenty-two. I mean we talk competition all the time. We’re not going to say anybodys’ got anything and they can relax. I understand the question. It’s going to take a lot for somebody to come in here and beat out Jovaughn Gwyn to be our starting offensive guard,” Beamer said.
“I feel safe saying, ‘Yeah, Jovaughn Gwyn is probably going to be the starter game one there.’ But I don’t want to be a hypocrite and say anyone has anything locked up. There are a lot of decisions still being made.”
Beamer understands there are certainly players more likely to start for South Carolina than others and positions with entrenched veterans.
But there are still a few key spots very much up for grabs with three weeks until the season.
The biggest, at least right now, are at linebacker, right tackle, place kicker and defensive tackle beside Zacch Pickens. The Gamecocks also need to figure out some depth behind their first-team secondary.
“With Cam and Darius Rush and Marcellas Dial and Devonni Reed and RJ Roderick, those five have done a nice job as our starting five defensive backs right now. Who’s going to be the backups behind those guys? We have to figure that out,” Beamer said.
“Sherrod Greene, Brad Johnson and Mo Kaba, the way those three guys are battling for those two backer spots. Then Tyshawn Wannamaker and Dylan Wonnum, the way they’re competing to see who’s going to be the starting tackle.”
One unexpected battle at the moment is the punter spot, which is up for grabs momentarily while Kai Kroger recovers from an injury.
William Joyce and Alex Herrera split reps there during Saturday’s scrimmage.
“Those guys are doing a nice job. I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a one right now. When we punted today I was watching more of the protection than the punters. Both those guys hit some great kicks. They’ve done a good job.”
The good news from Beamer is Kroeger is progressing well and faster than expected.
It’s still to be determined if he’s available for the opener, but Beamer thinks the Gamecocks are in capable hands.
“When you lose your starting punter a week before you start preseason practice it’s concerning,” Beamer said. “But those guys have done a great job stepping up and showing what they can do in Kai’s absence right now.”
