Shane Beamer likes new NCAA initial counter rule
Each coaching transition varies from school to school, especially in terms of what kind of roster each new coach is inheriting. Shane Beamer found that out quickly after taking South Carolina’s job.
The Gamecocks’ head coach took over a roster six players under the 85 scholarship limit, having to deal with a limited roster size all of his first season on campus.
Which is why he loves what the NCAA did Wednesday, lifting the 25 initial counter limit in each recruiting class.
“To me, the biggest thing is it helps teams,” Beamer said Wednesday at a Welcome Home Tour stop. “I would have loved that last year. We started the season with 79 guys on scholarship and I couldn’t add anybody else cause I already used my initials up.”
Typically, schools can only count 25 high school players in each recruiting class, which doesn’t take into account departures into the portal. The NCAA did allow for more flexibility this cycle, allowing coaches to not count transfer signees into that 25.
Under this new rule, there is no more initial counters as long as coaches stay under the 85 scholarship limit.
The NCAA removed the limit for the next two academic years at least. It gives South Carolina and every Division I coach a little more flexibility in recruiting.
It comes with the transfer portal becoming even more of a staple and roster management becoming trickier each offseason.
To have the opportunity now to get to 85, to me it’s a player safety issue. It makes sense. That’s the biggest thing,” Beamer said. “It’s player safety and allows coaches to keep their roster where it needs to be from a competitive standpoint. Also, if you lost a bunch of guys in the transfer portal you can somewhat replace him.”
South Carolina signed the No. 27 overall high school class in the SEC last year but had tremendous success in the transfer portal.
The Gamecocks have one public commitment in the 2023 class, three-star safety Zahbari Sandy.
Gamecocks coaches are back on the road through the month of May, evaluating players and laying the foundation for the remaining spots in 2023 and the ensuing classes.
It’s the first time South Carolina’s coaches have been able to go out on the road in the spring since Beamer took over.
“We couldn’t go out on the road last year in May. Then it’s so much more of a familiarity. You’re able to come in there on Monday morning, go through where people have been the week before. That’s great,” he said.
“It’s good though because we can talk about David from Rock Hill that so and so saw and its’ not our first time ever hearing about him and not our first time seeing him in person. The majority of guys we’re looking at we’ve seen in person. There’s more familiarity.”
