Talking Season Continues at Birdies with Beamer

“Talking season” continued Thursday as South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer hosted the annual “Birdies with Beamer” golf tournament at Cobblestone Golf Club in Blythewood. The event brings local and national media to play the course followed by a late afternoon press conference by the Gamecocks’ head coach.

GamecocksOnline caught up with some of the national media members to get a handle on what the vibes are about the upcoming 2026 season for the Gamecocks, who are coming off a 4-8 campaign last year and hoping to flip those numbers in a winning direction, perhaps buoyed by new additions on the offensive coaching staff with offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, assistant head coach for offense and running backs coach Stan Drayton, and o-line coach Randy Clements.

“LaNorris Sellers is a generational type of quarterback,” said Roman Harper from the SEC Network. “If you have one of those, you have a chance, and you bring in a guy like Kendal Briles, and if they can protect this young man, then you’ll see good results. I liked that they brough in a lot of guys out of the transfer portal – big guys, who have played a lot of games. They haven’t played together yet, and it’s all about that cohesiveness and communication and playing as a unit. They have to stay healthy, too. With Clayton White as defensive coordinator, you know what you’re going to get. It’s not going to always be pretty, but they’re going to force a lot of turnovers and that gives you a chance to stay in games.”

“I thought so many of the issues last year were on the offensive line and offensive scheme,” said David Ubben, senior writer for The Athletic. “Watching them last year, it felt like every time LaNorris took a snap, he was running for his life immediately. You’ve changed the offense and overhauled the offensive line room, and that gives you a fighting chance. With the new scheme, whether or not it works, you know there are two decades of film showing this is what we are. You have some clarity there, and some better talent on the offensive line, so that should help.”

“I’m approaching this year with cautious optimism,” said Alyssa Lang of the SEC Network. “There are a lot of the same pieces from last year, but there are a lot of better pieces around them, not only from a players standpoint, but from a coaches standpoint. The additions that Shane made to his staff are really exciting. We knew what the talent looked like on paper last year, but it didn’t come to fruition the way fans would have wanted. I think the work has been put in during the offseason to make sure that it does come to fruition this year.”

“You have arguably on of the most talented quarterbacks in all of football, and you see what Kendal Briles has done in the past with guys like K.J. Jefferson – I think he can do that here,” said SEC Network studio host Peter Burns. “Another difference is that Clayton White feels like he has a little more depth in their big room up front. When you look at South Carolina’s schedule, there is chance they could potentially be favored or at least a ‘pick ‘em’ in six of their first seven games. They just need to get off to a quick start. With the College Football Playoff expanding, when you have a quarterback, you have a chance.”

Having seen Coach Beamer have his team bounce back from challenging seasons in the past, there is optimism that the Gamecocks can turn it around in 2026.

“He knows this is a big year for him,” Burns said. “He hasn’t been afraid to make tough choices when it comes to his coaching staff. One thing about Shane is that he always wants it to be about family. I think that’s one of the reasons he is successful.”

“Guys want to play for him,” Ubben said. “I know it’s a ‘what have you done for me lately’ sport, but talent retention is a huge part of it. That’s so hard to do in this sport – to keep your guys. The fact that they were able to keep guys like (junior edge) Dylan Stewart, LaNorris Sellers, and you can throw a guy like (senior wide receiver) Nyck (Harbor) in there as well, is big. Retention speaks to culture. It says you have people around you that believe in you.”

“The continuation of recruiting the best players in positions of need and bringing in some of the best minds from a coaching standpoint is what stands out,” Lang said. “I think bringing Kendal Briles in is one of the most under-talked about hires in college football. When you have this great offensive mind coupled with this potentially great offensive personnel, it’s just a matter of getting the right pieces to click. If they can click, then you have all the pieces you need.”

While it will take a team effort to make the Gamecocks a contender in 2026, it’s not a surprise that those covering the sport are excited to see which of the proven stars will shine the brightest this year.

“For me, it’s LaNorris Sellers every single week,” Burns said. “You’ve got a good and proven OC, so all eyes will be on LaNorris.”

“LaNorris can be so electric,” Ubben said. “Ultimately, getting him back to looking like the guy people were talking about as a top ten or first round pick going into last season will be exciting. I think this offense will suit him well. It’s a very quarterback friendly offense, and he has the skills to take advantage of that.”

“Of all the quarterbacks in this stacked quarterbacks class in the SEC, LaNorris Sellers has the highest ceiling because he’s the biggest, fastest, and strongest,” Harper said. “I also want to see what Dylan Stewart is going to be. Last year, he didn’t have the same kind of season that he did as a freshman. When everybody knows about you, going through a sophomore slump is a natural thing. I want to see how he has a breakout season and how Clayton White and this defense continue to use him in different ways. He needs to stay healthy, but I want to see how impactful he can be. He has all the tools.”

“I want to watch Dylan Stewart,” Lang said. “It’s a contract year for him. We all know what’s coming up for him after this year is over in the NFL. Coach Beamer and Clayton White got (defensive ends/linebackers coach) Deion Barnes from Penn State, who is a guy who has coached some great defensive ends. If Dylan stays healthy and is working with this assortment of coaches who have proven themselves as far as sending players to the next level, this feels like that year for him to continue to put the country on notice.”