A new College Football season is upon the South Carolina Gamecocks, and the level of excitement has reached an all-time high for the program. Everywhere you turn, people are talking about the Gamecocks and Beamer Ball. In year one, Head Coach Shane Beamer won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina, and in the off-season, South Carolina made some massive moves to create a program sailing the ship of expectations. Shane Beamer, the son of the legendary Frank Beamer, is building something in Columbia that Gamecock fans can be proud of for years to come.

As they head into the 2022 season, South Carolina has fourteen starters returning to the Gamecock program. Seven on the offensive side of the ball; and seven on the defensive side.

On the offensive side of the ball, South Carolina, in particular, returns two guys in Josh Vann at Wide Receiver and Jaheim Bell at Tight End. Vann led the Gamecocks in catches last season with 43. Jaheim Bell had an unbelievable bowl performance against North Carolina with two crucial Touchdown catches against the Tar Heels. However, as large as those two guys will be for the Gamecocks this season, the transfer portal delivered Spencer Rattler to the Gamecock faithful. Rattler transferred to South Carolina from Norman, Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners in one of the most explosive offensive units in all of College Football.

If South Carolina were to fulfill the expectations of their fan base, Spencer Rattler has to put the team on his back to carry the Gamecocks to the promised land of SEC Football.

On the defensive side of the ball, South Carolina returns seven guys, including Zacch Pickens, Sherrod Greene, Brad Johnson, Marcellas Dial, Darius Rush, Cam Smith, and RJ Roderick. Out of those guys, Head Coach Shane Beamer and his Gamecocks will turn to Cam Smith to provide veteran leadership to the South Carolina defensive unit. From the outside looking in, South Carolina has a unique opportunity to earn its position as one of the most feared defensive units in all of SEC Football.

Overall, South Carolina will be improved from last season’s seven-win season when the Gamecocks defeated North Carolina in Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Folks even have the Gamecocks as a dark horse in the Southeastern Conference to make a little noise this season. It may or may not come to fruition, but Shane Beamer is building something remarkable in Columbia, South Carolina. The 2022 season could be the season that sets the tone for the future of South Carolina Football for generations to come.

South Carolina will open their season on September 3rd against Georgia State at Williams Brice Stadium. In week two, the Gamecocks will hit the road to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks. The key for South Carolina is to ride out the storm in October as the Gamecocks play Kentucky and Texas A&M in back-to-back weeks. A win in those three games and a nine-win season for the Gamecocks could very well be in reach for Shane Beamer in year two at South Carolina.