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South Carolina staff prepares young specialist room after difficult 2024 campaign

by: Mingo Martin07/30/25
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Mason Love (Katie Dugan/GamecockCentral)

Beamer Ball has been integral to Shane Beamer’s program at South Carolina since he returned to Columbia. As his tenure approaches its fifth year, Beamer and his staff prepare a new, inexperienced special teams unit to carry the generational tradition.

“There’s a lot of things that you want to have, capable returners,” Beamer said. “And it’s something that we spend a lot of time on in the spring, practicing in the summertime as well.”

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The specialists’ spring practice took center stage during this year’s Garnet and Black Spring Game. During the halftime break of the scrimmage, Beamer brought his kickers to midfield for a kicking competition.

Beamer likes the pieces he has, crediting special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and assistant special teams coach Tim McConnell on a job well done.

“(It’s) something we’ve spent a lot of time on,” Beamer said. “We’ve recruited the right guys there.”

However, despite trusting his guys, Beamer knows his group needs to improve from a disappointing 2024 season.

South Carolina missed six field goals last year, three more than Beamer’s first three seasons combined. The Gamecocks also recorded their worst punt return average in the Beamer era (6.94) and second-worst kick return average in the SEC (19.25). At the same time, the team performed well when defending punt and kick returns.

“We’ve got full confidence in them. It’s not just them, it’s the people around them,” Beamer said. “… We’ve made a lot of game-changing plays on special teams in the last four seasons, and that’s been a hitch for us, and it will have to be again this year as well.”

Personnel-wise, they’re capable — yet unproven — in a lot of ways, Beamer said.

None of South Carolina’s four placekickers in 2025 — Mason Love, Peyton Argent, Max Kelley and William Joyce — has seen a snap at kicker in their careers. Joyce is the only member of the group to record game action in the garnet and black. The redshirt senior appeared in the 2022 season-opener against Georgia State as the holder for Mitch Jeter.

“They’re talented kickers and punters and snappers and holders, but they’re going to be doing it for real for the first time ever in a game in five weeks,” Beamer said. “I’ve got to do a great job, and our coaches are putting them in situations to try and prepare them the best we can.”

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