Shane Beamer identifies Kyle Kennard as South Carolina's most pleasant surprise this year

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer is one of those coaches that will open up on just about any topic if he’s in the right mood, and one question this week caused him to wax poetic about edge rusher Kyle Kennard.

Beamer was asked if any one player in particular this season has surprised him.

“I knew Kyle Kennard was good,” Beamer began. “I don’t know if I knew Kyle Kennard was going to be just this good. And that’s just full disclosure.”

Kennard has been the featured player in a ferocious South Carolina pass rush this season, one that has single-handedly helped the team win games.

The former Georgia Tech product has logged 23 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight quarterback hurries and one pass breakup.

Beamer recalled scouting Kennard out of the transfer portal.

“I watched his tape. I mean you watched, he had some really good plays at Georgia Tech, don’t get me wrong,” Beamer said. “But it wasn’t like you turned on a highlight tape and it was just 20 straight minutes of Kyle Kennard sacking quarterbacks and stuff. There was some good stuff.

“I mean I remember specifically watching Kyle play against Wake Forest last year, and just seeing the explosion, the twitch, the bend, the athleticism, the strength. All the stuff we’re seeing right now I remember seeing that and thinking this guy’s going to be great, could be really, really great for us.”

Beamer also shared another experience that made him think Kennard was going to be a huge addition.

“I remember this past summer I had a former NFL head coach that I was on the phone with back in July, I was on vacation down at the beach and I had a former NFL coach that is not a coach right now but I think he probably wants to get back to being in the NFL, and he was calling, ‘Hey, if I get back in the league next year, let me ask you about some of these guys,'” Beamer said. “And he started talking about what he thought a great portal pickup Kyle Kennard was as well. And it got me thinking he sees the flashes of that too.”

The thing that has stood out the most to Beamer about Kyle Kennard is his work ethic on and off the field. He simply knows how to lace them up and get to work.

That kind of attitude in training further reinforced for Beamer that he had the right guy.

“Surprise maybe isn’t a great word, but just seeing it’s not a flash it’s like dominant every single Saturday,” Beamer said. “And very much like I was telling (a reporter) with Rocket (Sanders), just the way Rocket’s worked Kyle’s been the same way. He’s been on a mission since he got here in January. We give out our student-athletes of the week awards, we call them the Scholar Ballers and he was a Scholar Baller this week because of what he’s doing academically as well. He’s really picked it up this semester and is on track to graduate this December.

“So he’s really taken this opportunity that he has here at South Carolina and has helped himself on and off the field. And his best football’s still in front of him as well.”