Shane Beamer just made his biggest splash yet on the offensive side of the ball, bringing in Kendal Briles as South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator. Now comes the real intrigue: what exactly will Briles’ offense look like in Columbia?
To understand that, you’ve got to look at where Briles has been-and just as importantly, the situations he’s been in. Over the past three seasons, he worked under Sonny Dykes at TCU, a head coach with a strong offensive identity of his own.
That dynamic naturally shaped how much of Briles’ own playbook could take center stage. Before that, he was calling plays at Arkansas under a head coach with an offensive line background.
That Razorbacks roster was built to run the ball, and Briles leaned into that identity. It wasn’t so much about forcing his system onto the team-it was about tailoring his approach to fit the strengths of the personnel.
That adaptability is a key part of what makes Briles such an intriguing hire for South Carolina. The core of his offensive philosophy traces back to the Baylor system-an up-tempo, spread-out attack that’s evolved into what some now call the “Veer-and-Shoot” or “Bear Raid.” It’s a system that’s found new life in places like Tennessee and Old Dominion, and while each version has its own wrinkles, the DNA is unmistakable: wide splits, vertical shots, and tempo that keeps defenses gasping for air.
At Arkansas, Briles didn’t run the Baylor system in its purest form-but the framework was still there. The Razorbacks just happened to have a downhill running game and a quarterback built to take advantage of it, so Briles adjusted. That’s the kind of flexibility that could serve South Carolina well, especially with some lingering roster uncertainties heading into the offseason.
This isn’t a plug-and-play situation where Briles will drop a pre-built scheme onto the Gamecocks and call it a day. What makes him valuable is his ability to mold his system to his players, not the other way around. Whether that means leaning into the run game, spreading the field with tempo, or dialing up vertical shots downfield, Briles has shown he can do it all-depending on what the roster gives him.
For Beamer and South Carolina, this hire signals a clear intent: they’re looking to modernize and diversify an offense that’s struggled to find consistency. Briles brings not just a system, but a mindset-one that’s aggressive, flexible, and built to adapt. That could be exactly what the Gamecocks need as they try to take the next step in the SEC.