Special teams double duty remains a possibility for Mason Love, Shane Beamer says
Positional versatility has become an increasingly valuable asset in the modern iteration of college football. Running backs catch passes out of the backfield, and linebackers drop into coverage along with members of the secondary. In some unique cases – like that of the most recent Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter – players can even contribute on both offense and defense.
A more common form of football “double duty” is having a player be a team’s placekicker and punter. South Carolina most recently did this when Spencer Lanning was on the team’s roster in the late 2000s. During his college career, he made 77.3% (34-44) of his field goals and 95.2% (80-84) of his extra points. He additionally had a 42.6-yard average on 171 punts.
A Lanning-like role could be in the cards for redshirt freshman Mason Love this upcoming season. Love is listed as both a placekicker and punter on the Gamecocks’ roster. Shane Beamer has also been impressed throughout the preseason with Love’s ability to punt, kick, and hold.
Beamer understands that having Love handle South Carolina’s punting and kicking duties may not be the most optimal of situations. But it is one Beamer believes the second-year player is more than capable of handling.
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“I was talking with Joe (DeCamillis) the other day – like, with Mason, how we could potentially have him kick, punt and hold. I don’t know if that’s humanly possible, but he’s pretty good at all three. We’re looking into that,” Beamer said. “Is it ideal? No. But it’s doable.”
Love did not see any on-field action during his true freshman campaign, as he sat behind Kai Kroeger and Alex Herrera on the depth chart at punter and kicker, respectively. He did, however, head into the season with numerous honors and recognitions.
In addition to being an Under Armour All-American, he ranked No. 1 amongst punters and No. 22 amongst kickers in the class of 2024, according to Kohl’s. He also earned All-Conference honors as both a punter and kicker during his senior year of high school.
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These school accolades alone will not guarantee Love the starting job at either position for South Carolina, though. Beamer said there was “heated competition” for each of those two roles. And if one player shines above the rest – and proves they are the best option to start on a given Sunday – there is a chance they will be responsible for both duties.
“(I) don’t want to put too much on his plate where he’s not as good as he can be at one of them, because he’s battling both of them, if that makes sense,” Beamer said. “But if it turns out that he or William Joyce or Peyton Argent, or whoever, can handle both, I’ve got no problem with it.”
Ultimately, the decision of whether to start Love – at one or both positions – lies in what’s best for his development. Beamer emphasized the importance of choosing whichever pathway optimizes his short-term performance and long-term growth.
“We want to make sure that we’re allowing him to maximize his potential at both positions,” Beamer said.
