South Carolina's slide may have Shane Beamer reaching for escape hatch

Has the Shane Beamer era run its course at South Carolina? It was a fair question before the Gamecocks' dismal 26-7 home loss to Oklahoma. It is South Carolina's fourth setback in five SEC games -- a colossal bummer for a program that came up a team or two short of a College Football Playoff bid in 2024. 

Disappointment remained Saturday afternoon, another anemic showing offensively that's becoming an all-too-familiar script for the Gamecocks under their current regime.

Multiple sources told CBS Sports this week that Beamer to Virginia Tech is more than speculation -- it has legitimacy -- and would strengthen if South Carolina's downturn continued this season. Multiple members of Virginia Tech's search committee "are pushing for Beamer," one source said.

Beamer was asked about the Hokies' vacancy last month and said what he always has about his alma mater, where his father is a legend: He remains focused on winning at South Carolina.

But that was three losses ago. At this point, severing the cord mutually might be best-case scenario for Beamer and South Carolina's new leadership under athletic director Jeremiah Donati. 

That's not to suggest Donati and Beamer's relationship has been anything but rhythmic, in-step and professional since Donati's arrival last December, but regime changes at the administrative level can often start the clock for existing coaching tenures while the two sides determine vision and future moving forward.

Beamer was Ray Tanner's hire in 2020 after the Will Muschamp fiasco. Tanner took a smart swing on a former program assistant wanting to be a head coach. 

This was always going to be an important season in Year 5 for Beamer, who received a raise and extension in January following last fall's 9-4 finish. The Gamecocks were ranked inside the preseason top-15 and paid out big to retain LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart in tow despite other programs trying to swoop in.

With more wins over his first four seasons than any coach in program history, Beamer was still in the good graces of fans and for good reason -- he had removed the stains of the previous regime and effectively turned the page on a 5-7 record in 2023 that birthed initial doubt from boosters.

Amid an already wild coaching carousel within the Power Four with James Franklin now on the table after his firing at Penn State, Virginia Tech is ready to make a significant financial investment into football when its new coach is announced and if it's Beamer, he would get an opportunity to remove himself from the week-to-week meat grinder he has faced within the SEC for a more favorable slate annually.

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Carter Bahns

Sure, there's likely reluctancy on following in his father's footsteps in Blacksburg, but the 48-year-old Beamer has been formidable against ranked teams at times with the Gamecocks and would only play a couple such opponents every year in the ACC.

Beamer's buyout at South Carolina is $5 million should he elect to terminate his contract this fall and take another job.

CBS Sports reported this week that Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock and all search committee members recently signed NDAs, signaling no further public remarks on the process and how close the Hokies are to naming their new coach.

Does that mean, behind the scenes, a deal is already in the works? Not necessarily, but it's possible when searches go relatively silent.

"The committee members are made up of people who like Shane and have long standing ties to the program, including the Rector John Rocovich," one source told CBS Sports on Saturday.

Offensive struggles under Beamer

Outside of nationally-ranked finishes in 2022 and 2024 that clouded much of the deficiencies at the point of attack, the Gamecocks have been soft at the line of scrimmage offensively within a league dominated by strength up front. Lackluster play along the offensive line despite high-end recruiting success at the guard and tackle spots along with running game malfunctions have marred development.

Rocket Sanders is the only South Carolina running back to finish inside the SEC's top 10 in rushing numbers under Beamer, finishing with 881 yards and 11 touchdowns as a transfer senior last fall.

Beamer fired offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley last week following the Gamecocks' loss at LSU, only the second time of his tenure he's parted ways with an assistant on offense.

Marcus Satterfield mercifully left the staff to join Matt Rhule at Nebraska after the 2022 season as Beamer's offensive coordinator amid cries for his firing, while his replacement, Dowell Loggains took the Appalachian vacancy last cycle prior to the Gamecocks promoting Mike Shula to the role.

Gamecock fans rained down "Fire Shula" chants as the Gamecocks' offense sputtered time and again against ole foe Brent Venables on Saturday, but offense has been a struggle under Beamer in Columbia regardless of who's calling the shots (SEC rank noted in parenthesis. 

Spencer Rattler and LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina's last two starting quarterbacks, have been knocked around more often than most in the SEC at the position. Rattler is an NFL starter. Sellers will eventually be one. 

No program in the conference has given up more sacks since the start of the 2023 season than the Gamecocks (102), the same goes for tackles for losses (225).

Beamer preached "staying the course" ahead of the loss to the Sooners, but the facts are what they are -- the offense is stuck in the mud and he's the director of the operation who makes the hires.

"I see signs -- not signs, I see us being better," Beamer said of his positive outlook following South Carolina's 3-3 start leading into Week 8. "The key for us that you take from previous years and then this year, we've got to keep doing that and keep moving forward. We can't sit around here and be sad boys, because we're 3-3." 

Regression from Sellers

Despite being the media's first-team All-SEC preseason selection and first-round 2026 NFL Draft acknowledgment from various insiders heading into his redshirt sophomore season, Sellers has struggled to grasp Shula's offense and does not appear comfortable through seven starts. 

Fans who consumed the Sellers hype in August and then fell into a coma may not believe his stat line: Six passing touchdowns across seven games (the number was five entering the day, tied for lowest among SEC starters). 

Sellers has been ineffective in the run game, too, and high-pressure numbers from opposing defenses have stunted his growth.

Looking forward

The Gamecocks need a reboot on the offensive side of the football, independent of what happens with Beamer and the Hokies. 

There's one school of thought that suggest Beamer may have a more pleasant time ripping the band-aid off and job-hopping rather than handle what would entail a return to South Carolina. Does he have the stomach for another offensive coordinator hire? Does he have the appetite to play the NIL game of holding on to Sellers (if he does not go pro) and pass-rusher Dylan Stewart should the vultures come circling again, as he did last year?

These are just a few of the questions Beamer will have to answer amid a potentially disastrous finish for the Gamecocks with numerous games left against playoff contenders.