South Carolina, Shane Beamer sifting through running back options as summer nears

Coach Shane Beamer isn’t worried about his running backs — at least not publicly.

Beamer told a quizzical room of South Carolina fans on Wednesday at a Gamecock Club event in Summerville that he’s less concerned about his potential tailbacks than the outside perceptions might suggest.

But after a pair of transfer targets committed elsewhere and with other options this late in the cycle running thin, the Gamecocks are closing in on a point in which what they’ve got is what they’ll have come the Sept. 2 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte.

“I’m probably not as concerned about it as maybe the outside narrative is right now about it,” Beamer said.

That South Carolina’s running back room has worn thin is a layered issue. MarShawn Lloyd’s transfer to Southern Cal in January was a big blow at a position he anchored when healthy for the bulk of the 2023 season.

After battling back from an ACL tear his freshman year, Lloyd led the Gamecocks with 573 yards rushing on 111 carries. The former top-65 recruit’s nine touchdowns on the ground were also the second-most by a South Carolina tailback since Mike Davis matched that number in 2014.

Do-it-all tight end Jaheim Bell’s departure also had a significant impact, given his increased role in the run game when Lloyd missed three of the final four games with an injury. Bell eventually finished the year as the Gamecocks’ second-highest rusher with 261 yards on 73 carries, despite working primarily as a tight end.

Given those transfers — along with Rashad Amos’ move to Miami (Ohio) — South Carolina was left with only two scholarship running backs during spring practice in Juju McDowell and Newberry College import Mario Anderson.

“You’d love to have four or five running backs you feel good about,” Beamer said. “Those guys are going to play special teams, and it’s a position that gets a lot of wear and tear. ”

McDowell, in theory, is most likely to earn the starting job. He’s been a spark plug in spurts over his first two seasons in Columbia and is by far the most proven rusher at the Southeastern Conference level on the roster. However, it’s a bit shaky as to whether his 5-foot-9, 177-pound body can withstand the beating of the being an every-down back.

The Gamecocks could also turn to Anderson — a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II Heisman) last fall at Newberry — or receiver Dakereon Joyner, who spent ample time this spring working with the running backs.

That said, Beamer and his staff have been looking for options.

South Carolina was in the running for Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs and N.C. State’s Demie Sumo-Karngbaye. Diggs, a Louisiana native who visited Columbia two weeks ago, announced a commitment to LSU and his former coach in Brian Kelley on Tuesday. Hours earlier, Sumo-Karngbaye also spurned USC for Kentucky.

With the second transfer portal window closing on April 30, that leaves limited alternatives for the Gamecocks to add immediate help. Any movement on a transfer tailback would likely be via a graduate student, as those players can enter the portal any time and be immediately eligible.

One added wrinkle to the room is four-star freshman Dontavius “Djay” Braswell.

Braswell is the highest-rated running back (No. 247 overall, No. 16 RB in 2023 class, per 247Sports Composite) to sign with South Carolina since Beamer became the head coach in December 2020. He finished his senior year at Washington County High School (GA) rushing for 974 yards and an average of 6.8 yards per carry.

“He’s going to have to play with our depth right now at the position,” Beamer said. “... We’ve got to get him ready to play and expect him to play.”

“Djay is just kind of a workhorse, if you will,” he continued. “He did everything for his team and is a good, solid football player. We’re optimistic he’ll be able to help us this season.”

Fans cheered as Beamer quelled their potential concerns about running back. Those Low Country residents familiar with Joyner’s roots down the road at Fort Dorchester, too, roared when his name was mentioned.

Yet for what ease folks in the room at Bud Knight’s Barn found in what Beamer suggested, the running back situation still feels decidedly unsettled. And it may still be that way when the season kicks off in 106 days.