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Former South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia jokes about Clemson’s NIL deals, in-state rivalry

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•08/17/22•

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COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 30: Stephen Garcia #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks against the Tennessee Volunteers during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 30, 2010 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Stephen Garcia was voted one of South Carolina's 30 best players during the SEC era by fans.(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Stephen Garcia is a legend around the South Carolina program, leading the Gamecocks to heights the program had never seen. Arguably most importantly, he was 2-0 against Clemson as the starting quarterback, getting crucial wins over the in-state rivals.

Since then, it’s been tough sledding for South Carolina. While there were three straight wins after Garcia left, Clemson has won seven matchups in a row, including a 30-0 win in Columbia last season. Even so, Garcia believes this could be the year the tide reverses. He thinks the Gamecocks have a legit chance in this season’s Palmetto Bowl.

“I do,” Gracia predicted. “I do think they have a chance this season. To be honest, I thought we had a chance last year but that obviously didn’t go as we thought. You never know.”

Stephen Garcia jokes about Clemson “NIL” program

Even though Garcia seemingly respects Clemson, it’s tough to not take a shot at your in-state rival. The former South Carolina quarterback says the Tigers may have been in the NIL game “a lot sooner than some of the other teams.” Garcia admits his own program may have done the same thing but if the Gamecocks did, he didn’t see a dime of it.

“With that being said, I’ll probably catch a little s*** for this but I think Clemson got involved in the NIL a lot sooner than some of the other teams did if you catch my drift,” said Garcia. “I’m sure we even did it, who knows? I know I didn’t get any money, which sucked.”

Dabo Swinney took over Clemson in 2010, working the program into national contention. It all came together in 2015, making a College Football Playoff and even appearing in a national championship game. A title came one year later and another during the 2018 season.

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South Carolina in good hands with Shane Beamer

Talks then went back to Garcia’s own program, discussing the direction South Carolina is going under head coach Shane Beamer. Being able to replicate what Clemson has had, or even Georgia, is the goal for Garcia — at least from a recruiting perspective. He thinks players want to play for Beamer.

“I think we have the opportunity to get to where Dabo is,” Garcia said. “I mean, he was having a top 10 recruiting class every single year like Kirby (Smart) has been doing. Hopefully, Coach Beamer can do that. I think he’s capable of doing it. The powers that be are behind him, they like him up there. They love him in Columbia. Players want to play for him. I personally loved playing with him.”

Beamer was at South Carolina while Garcia was there, coaching defensive backs. The two may not have interacted a ton due to positional differences but the love for the program is there.

“He was obviously a DB coach but getting a chance to see his energy around the team, how vocal he was, how passionate he was — it’s about football. He loves the city of Columbia. He still has a Columbia area code on his cell phone, which is wild. I’m hoping he can do it. He loves the city and loves the program.”