South Carolina's Shane Beamer among CBS Sports' biggest risers in coaching rankings
South Carolina football has finished inside the top 25 twice in the past three seasons. Following a near College Football Playoff berth in 2024, expectations are high in Columbia heading into 2025. The Gamecocks return two of the best players in the country in quarterback Lanorris Sellers and EDGE Dylan Stewart, and head coach Shane Beamer believes his team has what it takes to move forward into the 12-team field this year.
On Wednesday, Tom Fornelli and the CBS Sports team began releasing their 2025 preseason power conference coaching rankings. When the outlet dropped No. 64-26, the South Carolina headman slotted in at No. 28. That marked an 18-spot improvement from last offseason’s rankings for Beamer.
Said Fornelli and company, “The Gamecocks nearly reached the College Football Playoff last season, picking up wins over Texas A&M, Missouri, and Clemson and a close loss on the road to Alabama. So, it shouldn’t surprise you to see Beamer take a significant jump in the rankings, as he’s gone from No. 46 last year to knocking on the door of the top 25.”
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Being 28th means that Beamer is No. 8 in the Southeastern Conference. Though No. 1-25 have not yet been published, based on the rest of the top-64 list, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, LSU’s Brian Kelly, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz are ahead of Beamer among coaches in the SEC. At least one CBS voter put Beamer at No. 18, while another had him as low as No. 38. He is also ahead of popular non-SEC names like Deion Sanders (Colorado), Bill Belichick (North Carolina), and Luke Fickell (Wisconsin).
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The 2025 version of the South Carolina football team will face off against five coaches in CBS’ top 25. The other five power conference teams on the schedule have head coaches ranked below Beamer.
The Gamecocks will open this season on Sunday, August 31st in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Virginia Tech. The Hokies (led by No. 63 Brent Pry) and Gamecocks will kick off at 3:00 p.m. in the neutral-site affair. ESPN will broadcast the contest. The ESPN app will make it available via streaming.
