The College Football Transfer Portal closed Wednesday, January 3, for all teams except those that made the College Football Playoff. At this point, players can no longer enter the portal, but teams can still sign players. South Carolina lost 20 players via the transfer portal this cycle. At the outset, 20 sounds like a large number. While it is the second most out of all SEC teams, over half of the teams in the league have lost 14 or more players. To be clear, not all portal losses are bad. Some of the players that have left the South Carolina program left strictly due to playing time. In fact, the majority of the players in the portal have entered to see the field more often. However, the Gamecocks suffered a few portal losses that will significantly impact in 2024.
The high-profile stories of accomplished players negotiating big NIL deals and positioning themselves in national championship-contending situations dominate the headlines. Unsigned players largely go unnoticed by the average fan. To that point, only seven of South Carolina’s 20 portal departures were in the two-deep over the course of the 2023 season. After counting the losses, only four position groups still need significant additions. Shane Beamer and his staff still need to add playmakers at receiver, provide depth and linebacker, and find a quarterback to push LaNorris Sellers in the Spring.
Mass Receiver Exodus
Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. was the clear-cut biggest loss in the portal for the Gamecocks. He is committed to Ole Miss and is rated the number three receiver in the transfer portal by 247Sports. Wells is an impact player and cannot be replaced as an individual. In 2022 he amassed 68 catches for 928 yards and six touchdowns. Even though he was injured in 2023, he still managed to score a touchdown on the opening drive against Georgia while also aggravating a nagging injury that kept him out for the remainder of the season. Losing a talent like Wells would hurt any receiver room, but the number of receivers that the Gamecocks lost was more alarming.
In addition to losing their star wideout (and seeing Xavier Leggette declare for the NFL Draft after a record-breaking season as WR1), four other receivers chose to leave the program. This included O’Mega Blake (committed to East Carolina), who caught 19 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. Blake was poised to step into a major role in 2024 as the alpha in the room. Wide receivers Landon Samson and Kylic Horton, both young players who showed much potential but never worked up the depth chart, departed as well. Losing five receivers from the room raised some questions about Justin Stepp. However, Stepp’s track record at developing talent speaks for itself. The Gamecocks will look to add a few more receivers via the portal in addition to Jared Brown (Coastal Carolina) and the large group of rising sophomores already in the program.
How Things Change
Weeks ago, Beamer named the linebackers one of the few position groups where the Gamecocks considered themselves full. At that point, the addition of three portal running backs to replace the departing Mario Anderson (committed to Memphis) was a much bigger topic of discussion. Kicker Mitch Jeter leaving for Notre Dame was still fresh in the minds of fans, without the reassurance that backup Alex Herrera has the confidence of his coaches to take over in 2024. The loss of an experienced and talented starter at offensive tackle, Jaylen Nichols, was also high on the list of concerns. The Gamecocks made moves to address that loss as well. On Thursday, they added MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year Torricelli Simpkins out of North Carolina Central.
Once Deep, Now Thin Again
The linebacker situation drastically changed since Beamer’s press conference on December 20. A position of depth on the Gamecocks’ roster experienced key losses via the portal. Stone Blanton, who started all 12 games in 2023, entered the portal. Blanton had 52 total tackles in his sophomore campaign, with a sack, a forced fumble, and a pick-six that sealed the victory in the battle of the Gamecocks against Jacksonville State.
Look for Blanton to head home to Mississippi and join the Bulldogs for Jeff Lebby’s first season in Starkville. Losing a starter is never good, but Blanton would have likely lost his starting job in 2023. He is more of an “in the box” player than some of the more speedy linebackers in the group. In Clayton White’s defense, speed is key, as the linebackers are asked to do a lot in space. It has become known that Blanton’s reason for leaving was partly the online criticism he received from Gamecocks’ fans. Players must be held accountable for their actions. However, Blanton’s honesty sheds light on the damage that can be done by keyboard warriors in passionate fanbases.
Then, just hours before the portal closed, Grayson “Pup” Howard also entered the portal. Howard once said he would “die for” the Gamecocks program. He was the face of the 2022 high school signing class and played the role of primary recruiter in that group. Howard even practiced with the team during bowl practice last season just after having received his high school diploma. In 2023, as a true freshman, he had 19 total tackles and one forced fumble. He factored into the 2024 equation as a potential starter and a definite key contributor. He has since committed to Florida, confirming rumors that he wanted to go close to home (Jacksonville). The Gamecocks’ coaching staff needs to bring quality depth to the linebacker room for 2024. The top talent in the room is returning, and incoming freshmen bring high expectations.
The Sellers Show
Finally, there is a need for depth at the quarterback position. Sellers is the presumptive starter in 2024. Expectations are higher for Sellers than any quarterback since Stephen Garcia at the height of the Steve Spurrier era. However, behind Sellers, the room has quite literally cleared out. Both Tanner Bailey and Colten Gauthier entered the transfer portal. Longtime Gamecock Luke Doty, who started at quarterback in 2020, works primarily at wide receiver.
That leaves incoming freshman Dante Reno as the only scholarship quarterback behind Sellers. The Gamecocks are in the market for someone who can push Sellers and elevate his game but not necessarily overtake him. Many are interested, but Beamer stated in his December 20th press conference that he refuses to lie and tell guys that they are guaranteed a starting spot. He believes in competition and earning a starting role. This has deterred some players who entered the portal to escape backup roles.
After seeing 20 players transfer out, the losses in the portal are not as extreme as they may appear for the Gamecocks. We will monitor the additions as they come and be back next week to highlight the 2024 transfer class at South Carolina.
