South Carolina heads into the 2021 season off the back of consecutive poor seasons, and with a lot of unknowns hanging overhead. Shane Beamer was brought in as head coach to breathe new life into the program. His first summer in charge has seen him take some positive steps towards doing just that. There is a renewed energy and the new staff has taken over. Gamecock recruiting has been reaping the benefits of that over the past few weeks. The ability to have in person visits with recruits has shown what may be this staff’s biggest attribute. They are proving themselves to be excellent inthe relationship building process that is so crucial on the recruiting trail.
Shane Beamer’s Energy Brings Boost to Gamecock Recruiting
The new South Carolina staff has hit the ground running in its first off season in Columbia. They are providing some positive momentum to the program. In person recruiting is back in full swing after a year unlike any college football has seen because of the restrictions the global pandemic had forced upon players, teams, and coaches. The Gamecocks have taken advantage quickly with a big surge in commitments over the past few weeks.
Welcome Home
The hash tag “Welcome Home’ has become a fixture on twitter over the last month. The hash tag is the new indicator of a prospect commitment being used by Beamer. It is a simple phrase, but it has become a lighting rod for excitement among the garnet and black fan base. The new staff has been in overdrive with prospects visiting campus. Kids are getting a first look at what this school and its facilities have to offer. There was a stretch in June where Gamecock recruiting saw 12 players commit to the program over a 12 day span. This was a much needed burst of positive momentum to both the program itself and its fan base. South Carolina now has 15 commits for the 2022 class and has risen to 16th in the National rankings.
Immediate Impact
While most of the recent commits are for the 2022 class, one of the new additions is a transfer that will certainly help this fall. Karon Prunty chose Columbia as his new destination after playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2020. He was a freshman All-American selection as corner. His addition will help bolster a position of need on the South Carolina roster. The Virginia native was also a honorable mention All-Big 12 selection a season ago. He has good size and cover skills, accumulating 10 pass break ups and not allowing a touchdown in 2020. Prunty has an excellent chance to be a day one starter in garnet and black. Most of South Carolina’s 2020 secondary is no longer on the roster. He is one of nine transfers that will look to help the Gamecocks this fall.
Turning Off-Season Momentum into Wins
Beamer and his staff have definitely brought much needed enthusiasm and energy back to this program. The surge in Gamecock recruiting wins recently is a testament to their hard work and plan to rebuild things. The one constant being said by the kids pledging their future to this program is how genuine and passionate staff is. Now they will need to show they can build a winner on the field, and continue the momentum they have accrued over the summer. As always, one of the nation’s toughest schedules awaits this team in the fall. A new voice at the top and a renewed energy and passion on the field could propel this team past most preseason expectations. There is talent on this roster. The hope is that the new coaching staff will help provide more focus and consistency than this team has shown the past two seasons.
