What positions South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer is targeting in transfer portal

COLUMBIA -- Four days before South Carolina's spring football game, coach Shane Beamer provided insight on the roster for Saturday night's game and the transfer portal now that the spring window is open.

South Carolina's Garnet & Black Spring game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. Admission is free.

Coming out of practice Tuesday, Beamer echoed positive messages of good energy and hard work in the last week of the spring. He complimented his team's improvement each day and appreciated the atmosphere on campus. The only injury update he provided was that redshirt freshman defender Zahbari Sandy tore his ACL on Saturday during the team's scrimmage. Beamer is doubtful Sandy will return this season but hopeful it could happen.

Shane Beamer looking at WRs and OL in transfer portal

The spring football transfer window officially opened Tuesday and will close April 30. Any staff utilizes the portal to strengthen the roster before training camp, but Beamer said he's looking at the offensive line and wide receiver group because South Carolina is lacking depth there with scholarship spots open. Beamer made it clear he's not worried about the talent of his offensive line or wide receivers but wants to use the portal as a chance to deepen his roster in those two areas.

Last week, South Carolina offensive lineman Jaxon Hughes announced he is entering the transfer portal; however, Hughes was not on scholarship.

How South Carolina football will determine spring game rosters

On Thursday night, the team will engage in a draft to pick teams for Saturday's game. Beamer said the tradition began last year and the players requested the same selection process for this spring.

There will be some direction from coaches, as Beamer explained, for positions like the offensive line where he will want some players who have practiced together on the same team.

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Beamer views the spring game as the first chance for most of the young guys to play under the lights and will be a great way to assess his roster. The spring game provides incoming freshman a game like atmosphere before the first official kickoff.

"I'm not one of those guys who looks at the spring game and say it doesn't matter because it does," Beamer said. "There is a 14-practice body of work that we put a lot of weight on ... we are competing and we want to win ... it's a great indicator and so important."

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football's Shane Beamer on transfer portal, spring game