South Carolina has started looking in an unexpected place for offense, and the answer has been Vicari Swain.
The first-year offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has sent Swain out as a receiver in each of the last two games, a move that comes after Swain spent most of his time making noise on special teams and defense. Shane Beamer said the idea has been in motion for a while, with Swain pushing for it since the summer.
“I talked to Kendal and the offensive staff about it,” Beamer said Sunday of the decision to utilize Swain on offense. “Vicari’s been on me since the summer time about getting out there and playing offense. So it’s something that we’ve been talking about really since July.
“He’s playing at a high level on defense and special teams right now for us. Kendal and I talked about it after the Mississippi State game that we just needed to continue to find playmakers.”
Swain’s offensive usage has been tiny, and the results have been easy to miss with South Carolina losing both games. He played one offensive snap in the loss to Alabama, lining up at wide receiver on fourth-and-2 in the first quarter before the Gamecocks ran a TE sneak with Brady Hunt and came up short.
Against Kentucky, Swain was on the field for three offensive snaps, according to PFF, and finished with two catches for 19 yards.
Beamer said the staff likes the early look and wants to keep building Swain into the offense.
“I think he’s been really, really good,” Beamer said. “We had a package of plays for him last night.
We got to most of them, and we had a package of plays for him against Alabama that were different than the ones that we ran last night. So we need to continue to integrate him into the offense along with the other playmakers that we have.”
The push to get Swain touches is also tied to the loss of sophomore Jayden Sellers, who is out for the year with an injury. Beamer pointed to what Sellers brought as a playmaker and said South Carolina has been trying to replace that quick-strike, make-you-miss element.
“The loss of Jayden Sellers, it’s hurt, in regards to his play-making ability and what he brings to the table,” Beamer said. “So we were just trying to find ways, continue to find ways to get guys that have make-you-miss ability in the game.
We certainly have deep threats that can run past you. When Jayden Sellers got hurt, we lost a little bit of that intermediate, quick game, slot-type, catch a ball and make you miss.”
Mazeo Bennett has stepped into a similar role from the slot and has put together a strong 2026 season after a sophomore slump a year ago. The Greenville product leads South Carolina with 18 catches and 201 yards, both of which already top his totals from 11 games last season.
Bennett also had career highs Saturday against Kentucky with eight catches and 92 yards.
Beamer said USC has also tried to find a Sellers-type option in freshman Sequel Patterson. Patterson played 49 offensive snaps in the first three games, per PFF, but has not been used on offense since then. He has three catches for 9 yards.
“I thought Mazeo Bennett played awesome last night,” Beamer said. “We’ve got to continue to bring him along.
He played his butt off and competed, but really just trying to find another playmaker with the ball in his hands. We’ve done a little bit with Sequel.
The backs certainly bring that to the equation.”
Swain’s background makes the move make sense. At Central High School in Carrollton, Georgia, he was a versatile all-around player who finished with nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches, including seven as a senior.
At South Carolina, his biggest offensive trait may already be familiar: the same make-you-miss ability that has made him dangerous on punt returns. He was an All-SEC returner last year and earlier this season broke the USC record for career punt return touchdowns with five.
Beamer thinks that kind of juice can translate when Swain gets chances on offense.
“Vicari’s a guy that we felt like we could get him the ball, get him some touches, and could add another element to our offense,” Beamer said.
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