Shane Beamer is reshaping his coaching staff at South Carolina, and the latest addition brings some serious defensive pedigree. According to multiple reports, the Gamecocks are expected to hire Penn State’s Deion Barnes as their new defensive ends and outside linebackers coach-a move that fills the vacancy left by Sterling Lucas, who recently joined Lane Kiffin’s staff at LSU.
Barnes, 32, has been a rising figure in coaching circles, and for good reason. Over the past few seasons, he’s been instrumental in developing one of the most productive defensive line units in college football.
He’s spent the last three years as Penn State’s defensive line coach and has been with the program in various roles since 2020. During that span, he’s worked closely with standout talents like Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson, and Adisa Isaac-names that have become synonymous with havoc in the Big Ten trenches.
And Barnes’ track record isn’t just about college production-it’s translating to the pros. Since he joined the Nittany Lions’ staff in 2020, no program in the country has produced more NFL draft picks at defensive end. That’s a stat that jumps off the page, especially for a South Carolina team that’s looking to reestablish itself as a defensive force in the SEC.
His arrival in Columbia comes at a critical time. The Gamecocks are coming off a 4-8 season that started with top-15 expectations and ended with just one SEC win.
Beamer is clearly not sitting still. Barnes becomes the fourth new assistant to join the staff this offseason as Beamer looks to inject new energy-and results-into a program that stumbled hard in 2025.
Barnes also steps into a situation with some built-in momentum. Shortly after news of his hire surfaced, South Carolina star defensive end Dylan Stewart-who had been close with Lucas-announced he would return for his junior season in 2026.
That’s a huge win for the Gamecocks. Stewart is the kind of player Barnes has shown he can elevate, and their partnership could be a cornerstone for the defense moving forward.
This isn’t the only Penn State connection coming to Columbia, either. Beamer also brought in former Nittany Lions running backs coach Stan Drayton to take over the same role at South Carolina. Both hires follow a shakeup at Penn State, where James Franklin was dismissed in October and replaced by Matt Campbell in December.
Barnes, a former standout player himself, brings real-world experience to the role. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012 while playing at Penn State, and later spent time with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs before transitioning to coaching. He also had a stint in the now-defunct AAF, giving him a well-rounded football résumé that resonates with players.
With Barnes now in the fold, South Carolina’s coaching overhaul is starting to take shape. Alongside him, Beamer has brought in Kendal Briles from TCU as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Randy Clements (also from TCU) to lead the offensive line, and Drayton to coach running backs. Those hires came after the departures of Mike Shula (OC/QBs), Lonnie Teasley (OL), and Marquel Blackwell (RBs).
It’s clear Beamer is betting big on fresh voices and proven developers of talent to turn things around. And if Barnes can bring even a fraction of the success he had at Penn State to South Carolina’s defensive front, the Gamecocks might just have found a key piece in their climb back up the SEC ladder.