Shane Beamer said he hated to see WR OrTre Smith go, but the veteran Gamecock has decided to enter the transfer portal and look to play elsewhere.

Beamer spoke about Smith’s departure, and how it unfolded given the length of their relationship. Beamer recalled recruiting Smith in 2016 when he was an assistant coach at Georgia.

“I hate to see him go,” Beamer said at his Tuesday press conference. “… Fantastic young man, fantastic mom, I think the world of him, and it was a hard decision for OrTre to make that decision to leave. I have nothing but great things to say about him, I wish him nothing but luck. I told him that. We talked for a long time in my office, it was an emotional meeting because I love the kid and I didn’t want to see him go, and I certainly understand that he has goals and he’s not a young guy anymore, he’s towards the tail end of his career and he wants to be somewhere where he can play a little bit more.”

Beamer explained that Josh Vann and E.J. Jenkins have largely filled the spot that Smith plays, and it’s “hard to crack that receiver rotation.”