Shane Beamer highlights ‘big point of interest’ for Gamecocks in 2026
By Mark Kern
Published:
Shane Beamer and South Carolina are entering a very important 2026 season after the Gamecocks didn’t live up to the lofty expectations they had entering the 2025 season. They nearly made it to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but finished only 4-8 while winning only one of eight SEC games.
In multiple games against some of the top teams in the country like Texas A&M and Alabama, they had late leads but were unable to get the victory. Those struggles has played a huge role in the off-season, as Beamer said closing games has been a huge focus for his team.
“There were times last season where we were in a dogfight in the 4th quarter and we needed more than one person to rally the troops…every game in the SEC is going to be close,” Beamer said on the McElroy and Cubelic Show. “It’s so much like the NFL it’s gonna come down to the last fifteen minutes and that’s when we need to be at our best!”
Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks are looking to make a run in the SEC, and the Gamecocks have a 7% chance of winning the conference according to Kalshi.
While they didn’t have the season they wanted to in 2025, the Gamecocks did a great job of retaining their top stars heading into the upcoming year. LaNorris Sellers, Dylan Stewart and Nyck Harbor all announced they would be back playing for Beamer. The talent is there for South Carolina to go on a run similar to 2024, and the added emphasis on closing games out in the fourth quarter could be just the difference.
