Paul Finebaum isn’t buying the idea that Shane Beamer is the one under the most heat in the SEC heading into 2026. If anything, he sees the spotlight shining harder on Clemson’s Dabo Swinney.
“I think Dabo should have more pressure because at least Beamer’s shown some signs of life lately,” Finebaum told The State at SEC Media Days on Monday. “The only time Dabo is relevant is when he’s talking about the past, and that’s all he does.”
That doesn’t mean Finebaum is waving off South Carolina’s concerns after a 4-8 season. He knows the Gamecocks need a rebound, and he believes Beamer is in a tight spot where another bad year would be hard to survive.
“For (Beamer’s) sake, I hope it is because that means they’ll have a good season,” Finebaum said. “I think he’s in a very narrow place where he can’t afford to have a bad season; and he knows that better than I know that.”
Still, Finebaum pushed back on the idea that Beamer’s seat is scorching because of anything Beamer alone has done. In his view, the 2025 coaching shakeup around the SEC changed the whole conversation.
“The reason why Shane Beamer is No. 1 on the SEC hot seat this year is because all the other guys got fired,” Finebaum said. “There was a wipeout, so there’s not much left. And I think if half those guys hadn’t been fired, we wouldn’t be talking about Shane Beamer.”
He also doesn’t think South Carolina needs some massive leap to keep moving forward. To Finebaum, the bar is more about steadiness than fireworks.
“Just show some consistency,” he said. “I don’t think Shane Beamer has to get to the CFP.
I don’t think he has to win 10 games. I think eight, nine wins and proof and life (is enough).
“I think most people are still pulling for Shane. I know I am,” Finebaum added. “But with that schedule, cheers aren’t going to be the difference.”
That schedule is the real beast. South Carolina opens with Kent State and Towson, but after that the path gets rough fast. The early October stretch against Kentucky on Oct. 3 and Florida on Oct. 10 stands out, though Finebaum pointed to the game before that as the one that could swing everything.
He’s looking at the road trip to Alabama, where the Gamecocks will almost certainly be big underdogs. South Carolina had fourth-quarter leads in both 2024 and 2025 before letting those chances slip away, and Finebaum thinks that kind of breakthrough could change the feel of the season.
“(South Carolina) is kind of owed that,” Finebaum said of the Alabama game. “If you go down there and win a game … if you get some momentum going, then you can get through (the schedule).”
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers will be central to any upset hopes, and Finebaum believes South Carolina has a better setup this year because of the change at offensive coordinator. He was blunt about Mike Shula.
“I covered Mike Shula as a player and as a head coach, and I knew the day he was hired he’d be a disaster,” Finebaum said of South Carolina’s former offensive coordinator “I don’t know why Shane Beamer didn’t know that.”
By contrast, he sees Kendal Briles as a clear upgrade.
“To Finebaum, going from Shula to Kendal Briles is upgrading from a camping trip to a stay at the Four Seasons.
“The program is in better shape this year because Briles is a good coach,” he added. “There are some opportunities there, but you’ve got to figure out ways to close games.”
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Shane Beamer Pressure Just Took On New Meaning For Gamecocks Fans
SEC Media Days brought a familiar kind of pressure check for Shane Beamer, and ESPN analyst Roman Harper did not sound ready to push the South Carolina coach toward the exit. Harper said Beamer deserves more grace and more time, even after the Gamecocks have hit some rough patches, and he framed the bigger picture around how hard it has been for South Carolina to sustain success and reload year after year.
Harper also pointed to 2026 as a season that could tell a much different story, with a path to seven or eight wins if the pieces come together. A big part of that optimism runs through LaNorris Sellers, whom Harper views as a potential difference-maker if used the right way, and through a schedule that includes games South Carolina can circle as opportunities to build momentum rather than just survive. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Freshman Zyon Guiles Is Already Turning Heads Up Front
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Guiles has been working at both tackle spots, a useful sign for a young lineman trying to earn trust early, and the added versatility only raises the intrigue around how quickly he can fit into the Gamecocks plans. He has also leaned on the staff around him as he adjusts to the speed and demands of the next level, which is exactly the sort of foundation South Carolina wants to see from a freshman still carving out his place up front. [Read more 🡒]