How South Carolina has become a top transfer portal destination

In the transfer portal era of college football, Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks have shown a strong grasp of how to use the portal to effectively bolster the South Carolina roster with potential difference-makers.

With traditional high school recruiting as competitive as ever within the SEC, the transfer portal could become an equalizer for programs like South Carolina looking to move up within the ranks of the conference.

Led by former five-star quarterback Spencer Rattler, South Carolina currently has seven incoming players from the portal with the potential to add more after spring practice.

While the addition of Rattler certainly brought the national headlines with it, and even helped change the narrative around the program entering Year 2, each and every one of the Gamecocks’ roster additions from the portal appears to have the opportunity to impact the team during their first season in the program.

In talking with many of Carolina’s incoming transfers, a trend has become clear: transfer portal prospects have a different approach to the recruiting process than the average high school prospect. And those needs appear to align with what the Gamecocks have to offer.

A transfer portal destination

“I think (South Carolina) can become a destination for any young man, transfer, high school, or not, that wants to be a part of playing winning football, being coached really, really hard, but having a great culture and environment that they’re a part of each and every day,” Beamer said in a recent exclusive interview with Gamecock Central.

While Beamer pushed back on the notion of Carolina being a transfer portal destination only — asserting that he wants the program he’s building to be a top destination for prospects from all backgrounds – he does agree with the idea that portal prospects are often taking a different approach to the process than their high school counterparts.

What are portal prospects looking for?

One, they’ve been through the process and can see a bit through the BS some coaches use to push their program. Two, they have a much better feel for exactly what is important to them in terms of finding the right fit. And three, they’re looking for a chance to play right away, knowing their eligibility may be fleeting in some cases.

“They’ve been through the recruiting process before,” Beamer told Gamecock Central. “They’re very black and white about what they’re looking for. Being able to see through the crap as well, the people that are just feeding them a line and who’s real. Then, being able to really hone in on, this is what I’m looking for and this is the kind of place for me. I like the other part of it, with the guys that have never been through recruiting before, that’s great and all. But this is certainly a different dynamic because you’ve got older guys that, they’re looking for something specific and they feel like we have it.”

South Carolina transfer portal prospects weigh in

The incoming prospects Gamecock Central has interviewed have echoed these very thoughts. 

“Coming as a grad transfer, I’ve kind of got just really one shot at this thing, so it’s got to work, so you go just off of straight needs and at South Carolina there’s a need for a tight end in this offense,” said Oklahoma transfer Austin Stogner, who played for Beamer with the Sooners. “And then you go somewhere where you trust the people there and there’s no one I trust more in this industry than Coach Beamer, so those two (things) led up to the decision and it’s kind of the perfect fit for me.”

Added incoming safety Devonni Reed: “I have been through all of that. I’ve been through all of the glitz and the glamour. I’ve seen the good and the bad. I was just looking for a coaching staff that was going to be very honest with me, very truthful. A coaching staff that was going to accept me with open arms and be a second family. … I feel like with guys in the transfer portal, they’re looking for more of a coaching staff that’s going to help them through the process whether it’s three more years or one more year left. Once you’re out of high school, you’re not really focused on the jerseys, or what they wear, all the lights and stuff like that. You’re not worried about that.”

Incoming defensive end Terrell Dawkins, an N.C. State transfer, indicated that his past experience with the recruiting process helped him sort through his second time around. Rattler credited the comfort level and trust with Beamer as one of the many factors in his decision.

In addition to Rattler, Stogner, Reed and Dawkins, the Gamecocks also added two running backs, Christian Beal-Smith and Lovasea Carroll — and wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. from the portal. All seven play what most would consider to be positions of need for the Gamecocks this offseason.

A place for all prospects

“I think I’ve learned with these transfers, because they’ve been through the recruiting process before, they’re very focused on what they want to see, and they know what they’re looking for,” Beamer said in a recent press conference. “They don’t need necessarily the glitz and glamour and to be wined and dined and things like that. They’re very much focused on here’s what I’m looking for in a school, can you guys provide it to me?”

For Beamer and the Gamecocks, he hopes that means providing a great culture and environment for his players to succeed both on and off the field.

That goes for prospects from all backgrounds, but combined with an opportunity to play right away at certain positions, especially seems to be resonating with transfer portal prospects who know exactly what they’re looking for in a program.

247Sports ranks the Gamecocks’ 2022 transfer portal class as the seventh-best in the country.

“I want it to be a destination for high school, portal, people that want to come be a part of what this (program) is about,” Beamer said. “I like it because I hear from so many people that visit here, recruits and their families, how real we are. That’s the one thing that always comes up. Some of the transfers that were here (recently), they said there are a lot of programs that talk about family, but you can feel it in this building, the way you guys interact and are around each other, which I like.”

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