South Carolina is heading into a revealing stretch of camp, and Shane Beamer isn’t hiding how much he expects to learn from it.
With the 2026 opener against Kent State set for Sept. 5, the Gamecocks are using this first full week of practice to sort through a series of battles that touch every phase of the team. Beamer called it a major checkpoint after the team returned to the field Tuesday following an off day Monday.
“Big week coming up. We talked about it this morning with our players in the team meeting at 7:30.
This is a big week because of everything we're throwing at them,” Beamer said on Tuesday. “Red zone, third down, two-minute, short yardage goal line.
We'll finish up with some work in the stadium on Saturday and be able to get out there and play a little bit. So big week that we told them we would find out a lot about our team this week.
Today was a good start.”
Saturday’s scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium is set to serve as the capstone of the week, and it comes at a time when the staff still has a lot to sort out. On offense, South Carolina is still working to settle the starting five up front while also sorting out the receiver and running back rotations.
The defense has its own list of decisions to make. There’s a battle at one safety spot and at nickel, while the depth chart at cornerback still needs more building. Special teams has unresolved jobs too, with competition at long snapper and place kicker.
Beamer said the stadium setting matters because it strips away some of the usual coaching presence and puts the pressure on the players to handle it themselves.
“Think anytime you can be in a scrimmage situation where coaches aren't on the field, you're in the stadium, the lights are on, it's a great teaching tool and it's a great barometer for us of where we are,” Beamer said. “Just to be able to kind of see mentally, physically, who can handle what right now?
That'll be a data point for us in regards to what we'll see on Saturday. But every day in practice is that.
“But coaches are off the field with the way that we do scrimmages, and the players got to be able to go out there and execute. There are some position battles, special teams battles, all that, that every practice is important, but Saturday is kind of the culmination of the week.
Then, we'll see where guys are and where we are as a team after Saturday. Next week will be another critical week for us in camp, and then really hone in on things after that second week.”
Beamer also pointed out that this preseason has a different feel because school is arriving sooner than it has in recent years. That leaves South Carolina with less time than usual to keep camp purely football-focused.
“Most years, last year included, you got really two full weeks of practice before school starts, two and a half weeks,” Beamer said. “Well, this year for us, we really just have a week and a half before school starts.
So, this is really our last week where it's just football, no distractions, and then next week, you get into a little bit more of a class mode. We're still in camp, already told the players that, but they'll be leaving here after practice and going to class after that, so it's a little bit different.”
In Other News...
South Carolinas QB Picture Behind LaNorris Sellers Is Suddenly Clear
The quarterback hierarchy behind LaNorris Sellers is starting to come into focus for South Carolina as the season approaches, and the biggest development is at No. 2. Kendal Briles confirmed that Cutter Woods has separated himself as the clear backup, a role he began to establish in the middle of last season and has only strengthened since by staying sharp in practice and earning confidence inside the program.
Lucian Anderson and Landon Duckworth are still battling for the third-string spot, leaving one of the few remaining quarterback questions in camp centered lower on the depth chart. For South Carolina, the clarity behind Sellers matters because it gives the staff a more defined plan if the position ever gets tested, and it shows how much Woods has grown into a trusted piece of the room. [Read more 🡒]
Darius Gray Is Already Forcing His Way Into South Carolina's Plans
Darius Gray has barely gotten his South Carolina career underway, and he is already making himself part of the conversation. The 2026 signee and former five-star prospect did not take part in spring practice, but the early buzz around him has only grown through summer workouts and the opening stretch of preseason drills, where head coach Shane Beamer singled out Grays physical and mental maturity.
For a Gamecocks roster still sorting out roles and depth, that kind of early impression matters. Gray has kept the focus on fitting whatever the team needs from him in his first year, a team-first approach that tends to go a long way in August and can move a player up the pecking order faster than any recruiting ranking ever will. [Read more 🡒]
Chloe Kitts Gives Gamecock Fans Another Reason To Feel Excited
The Kitts sisters spent part of the offseason in the gym together, turning a workout session into a small family showcase. Kylee Kitts, coming off a redshirt freshman season at Ohio State, joined her sister Chloe Kitts for drills and shooting competitions, a reminder of how much basketball talent runs through the family and how closely watched Chloes next step has become in Columbia.
Chloe is back for her final season at South Carolina after working her way back from an ACL injury, and the expectations around her are only growing. She is already being projected as a first-round pick in the 2027 WNBA draft, so every glimpse of her moving, competing and getting shots up carries extra weight for Gamecock fans who are eager to see what her return can mean for a team with big ambitions. [Read more 🡒]