Five-part series on South Carolina football debuts on ESPNU tonight
“Welcome Home: South Carolina Football” — an all-access five-part video series on Gamecock Football — will debut tonight, Wednesday, August 10, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
The series is designed to give fans behind-the-scenes access to second-year head coach Shane Beamer, the program’s assistant coaches, players, and staff, as they prepare for the 2022 season.
“This show will give our fans a look at the hard work our team goes through to prepare for the season,” Beamer said. “My hope is that as you watch our team play during the season, fans will have an appreciation of what goes into a season, a game and a practice.”
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University of South Carolina Athletics, in a partnership with JM Associates and Executive Producer and president of Sport & Story Bo Mattingly, is producing the show.
Camera crews will be embedded in team practices, meetings and behind-the-scenes activities inside the program.
Beamer is in his second season as the Gamecocks’ football coach, earning the Steve Spurrier First-Year Co-Coach of the Year presented by the Football Writers Association of America and Chris Doering Mortgage, given to the nation’s top first-year head coach at a school.
The Gamecocks were 7-6 last season, finishing with a 38-21 win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. The 2021 record was a 3.5 game improvement over the 2020 mark.
South Carolina is now six days into its preseason camp, which began last Friday.
The key returners on the offensive side of the ball include nearly everyone from the offensive line, which features multiple-year starters Eric Douglas (center), Jovaughn Gwyn (right guard) and Dylan Wonnum (right tackle). Gwyn (34 starts), Wonnum (30) and Douglas (24) have combined for 88 starts, while Jakai Moore (11), Jaylen Nichols (11) and Vershon Lee (10) also have reached double-figures in career starts, giving offensive line coach Greg Adkins experience and some position versatility.
Skill position standouts return in tight end Jaheim Bell, who exploded on the scene in the bowl win over North Carolina, and wide receiver Josh Vann, the squad’s top receiver from a year ago. Veteran receivers Ahmarean Brown, who is in his second season with the Gamecocks after transferring from Georgia Tech, and senior Xavier Legette both had excellent springs and could factor in the offense at the wide receiver position as well.
MarShawn Lloyd and SEC All-Freshman All-Purpose Back Juju McDowell are the top returnees in the backfield. Duke’s Mayo Bowl MVP Dakereon Joyner, who works at wide receiver, but is versatile enough to play quarterback if needed, can be a wild card that defensive coordinators will have to take into account. Luke Doty, who was the projected starting quarterback in the pre-season a year ago, is healthy following season-ending foot surgery, and is capable of leading the offense.
The defense has talent at all three levels. Along the front line, defensive tackle Zacch Pickens leads the way as a run-stopper in the middle. Jordan Strachan, who led the country in sacks in 2020, and former five-star recruit Jordan Burch give the Gamecocks a solid one-two punch off the edge.
The squad’s top returning tackler is linebacker Brad Johnson, while Sherrod Greene returns to bolster the linebacking corps after suffering season-ending injuries early in both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
Pre-season first-team All-American Cam Smith heads up the secondary. Smith, who is the latest in a long line of outstanding Carolina cornerbacks, could start at either the corner or the nickel position. Underrated Darius Rush works at a cornerback position opposite of Smith. “Super Senior” R.J. Roderick, who has made 33 career starts, provides veteran leadership at the safety position, but depth is a bit of a concern at that position heading into August.
