The 2021 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season marked the Gamecocks' 128th overall season, and 30th as a member of the SEC East Division. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams–Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, and were led by first-year head coach Shane Beamer.
In what was later deemed 2021's best season by a first-year head coach, South Carolina compiled a record of 7–6. The Gamecocks played in their first bowl game since 2018 and won their first bowl game since 2017, defeating North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl 38–21. Home games also returned to full capacity, though that capacity was now slightly reduced due to renovations.
Background
New head coach announced On December 6, 2020, Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer was announced as the Gamecocks 36th head coach. A former Gamecock assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Steve Spurrier from 2007 to 2010, he is also the son of long time Virginia Tech Head coach Frank Beamer. Beamer was born in Charleston, South Carolina, after graduating from Virginia Tech, he was a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech, and Tennessee, before becoming an assistant coach at Mississippi State. Beamers other stops as an assistant included Virginia Tech and Georgia. Notable recruits signed during Beamer's time as recruiting coordinator at South Carolina included Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore, and D. J. Swearinger.
Beamer cleaned out the staff from the Muschamp era, hiring Marcus Satterfield from the Carolina Panthers as Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Clayton White from NC State as Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, and a slew of other hires including Pete Lembo as Associate head coach/special teams coordinator and Hammond coach and former Gamecock QB Erik Kimrey as Tight ends coach. Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray was hired away from Florida, and Wide receivers coach Justin Stepp was hired away from Arkansas.
Preseason
Offseason departures NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNoteJaycee Horn#1CB6'1205JuniorAlpharetta, GeorgiaDeclared for NFL DraftErnest Jones#53LB6'2230JuniorWaycross, GeorgiaDeclared for NFL DraftShi Smith#13WR5'10190SeniorUnion, South CarolinaDeclared for NFL DraftIsrael Mukuamu#24CB6'4205JuniorBossier City, LouisianaDeclared for NFL DraftRyan Hilinski#3QB6'3225SophomoreOrange, CaliforniaTransferredJay Urich#10QB6'5215RS JuniorGreenville, South CarolinaGraduatedCollin Hill#15QB6'4222GraduateMoore, South CarolinaGraduatedDeshaun Fenwick#14RB6'1220RS SophomoreBradenton, FloridaTransferredSlade Carroll#33RB5'9205RS SeniorLexington, South CarolinaGraduatedAdam Prentice#46FB6'0245GraduateFresno, CaliforniaGraduatedChristian Kinsley#36P6'2220RS SeniorLexington, South CarolinaGraduatedKeShawn Toney#82TE6'2248RS FreshmanWilliston, South CarolinaTransferredWill Register#88TE6'4245RS JuniorChapin, South CarolinaGraduatedSadarius Hutcherson#50OL6'4320RS SeniorHuntingdon, TennesseeGraduatedKeir Thomas#5DL6'2275RS SeniorMiami, FloridaTransferredChandler Farrell#31TE6'3278RS SeniorSummerville, South CarolinaGraduatedJammie Robinson#7DB5'11195SophomoreLeesburg, GeorgiaTransferredShilo Sanders#21DB6'0195RS FreshmanCedar Hill, TexasTransferredJohn Dixon#22DB6'0185SophomoreTampa, FloridaTransferred
Personnel
Coaching staff NamePositionConsecutive season Shane Beamer Head coach 1st Marcus Satterfield Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach 1st Clayton White Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach 1st Pete Lembo Associate head coach/special teams coordinator 1st Torrian Gray Defensive backs coach 1st Montario Hardesty Running backs coach 1st Greg Adkins Offensive line coach 1st Justin Stepp Wide receivers coach 1st Erik Kimrey Tight ends coach 1st Mike Peterson Outside linebackers coach 5th Jimmy Lindsey Defensive line coach 1st
Notable support staff NamePositionConsecutive season Luke Day Head strength and conditioning coach 1st Connor Shaw Director of football relations 1st (2nd overall) Derrick Moore Executive director of character and player development 1st
Roster 2021 South Carolina Gamecocks Football RosterQuarterback 4 Luke Doty – sophomore (6'1, 210) 8 Zeb Noland – graduate (6'2, 232) 10 Colton Gauthier – freshman (6'3, 217) 14 Connor Jordan – sophomore (6'4, 208) 15 Jason Brown – senior (6'3, 229) 28 Jake Helfrich – freshman (6'0, 190)
Running back 1 MarShawn Lloyd – freshman (5'9, 215) 11 ZaQuandre White – senior (6'1, 215) 20 Kevin Harris – sophomore (5'10, 220) 21 JuJu McDowell – freshman (5'9, 177) 22 Bruce Staley – freshman (5'9, 210) 23 Rashad Amos – freshman (6'2, 224) 26 Nathan Harris-Waynick – freshman (5'10, 210) 32 Bradley Dunn – freshman (5'9, 210)
Wide receiver 3 Jalen Brooks – senior (6'2, 202) 5 Dakereon Joyner – junior (6'1, 207) 6 Josh Vann – senior (5'11, 190) 7 Ahmarean Brown – junior (5'9, 165) 8 Randrecous Davis – senior (5'10, 197) 13 EJ Jenkins – senior (6'7, 243) 16 Trey Adkins – junior (5'11, 182) 17 Xavier Legette – junior (6'1, 217) 18 OrTre Smith – senior (6'4, 227) 19 Ben Rollins – freshman (5'9, 163) 24 Eriq Rice – freshman (6'1, 187) 31 O'Mega Blake – freshman (6'3, 182) 33 Sam Reynolds – freshman (5'8, 185) 48 James Bartholomew – senior (5'9, 180) 81 Aaron Morton – freshman (5'8, 175) 84 Rico Powers – sophomore (6'2, 187) 85 Payton Mangrum – freshman (6'0, 195) 86 Chad Terrell – senior (6'3, 222) 89 Ger-Cari Caldwell – sophomore (6'5, 200)
Placekicker 43 Parker White – senior (6'5, 205) 45 Alex Herrera – sophomore (6'0, 187) 47 Cole Hanna – junior (5'8, 183) 98 Mitch Jeter – sophomore (5'11, 190) Punter 39 Kai Kroeger – sophomore (6'4, 195) 40 William Joyce – freshman (6'3, 220) Tight end 0 Jaheim Bell – sophomore (6'3, 230) 9 Nick Muse - Fifth Year (6'5, 249) 12 Traveon Kenion – sophomore (6'4, 245) 49 Dave Adams – freshman (6'2, 230) 80 Keveon Mullins – sophomore (6'3, 234) 82 Eric Shaw – sophomore (6'5, 212) 87 Patrick Reedy – junior (6'7, 260) 88 Jesse Sanders – freshman (6'3, 242)
Offensive Lineman 52 Jaylen Nichols – junior (6'5, 327) 53 Vershon Lee Sophomore (6'4, 307) 54 Jovaughn Gwyn – junior (6'3, 300) 55 Jakai Moore – sophomore (6'6, 312) 58 Mark Fox – sophomore (6'4, 305) 60 Jordan Davis – freshman (6'5, 302) 61 Collin Heinrich – freshman (6'3, 305) 62 Tyshon Wannamaker – freshman (6'4, 314) 64 JonDarius Morgan – freshman (6'3, 320) 65 Chuck Strickland – freshman (6'2, 267) 68 Wyatt Campbell – junior (6'6, 305) 70 Hank Manos – junior (6'4, 300) 71 Eric Douglas – senior (6'4, 308) 72 Trai Jones – freshman (6'3, 305) 74 Vincent Murphy – sophomore (6'2, 312) 75 Jazton Turnetine – senior (6'7, 342) 79 Dylan Wonnum – senior (6'5, 308)
Defensive Lineman 5 Rick Sandidge – senior (6'5, 302) 6 Zacch Pickens – junior (6'4, 305) 11 Keem Green – senior (6'4, 312) 57 Will Rogers – sophomore (6'4, 300) 90 T. J. Sanders – freshman (6'5, 300) 91 Tonka Hemingway – sophomore (6'3, 300) 93 Nick Barrett – freshman (6'3, 312) 94 M.J. Webb – senior (6'3, 310) 95 Alex Huntley – freshman (6'4, 305) 97 Devontae Davis – senior (6'4, 300) 99 Jabari Ellis – senior (6'3, 278) EDGE 1 Kingsley Enagbare – senior (6'4, 265) 3 Jordan Burch – sophomore (6'6, 268) 7 Jordan Strachan – senior (6'5, 250) 13 Gilber Edmond – freshman (6'5, 250) 15 Aaron Sterling - Fifth Year (6'2, 250) 16 Hot Rod Fitten – sophomore (6'2, 251) 92 Tyreek Johnson – sophomore (6'4, 270)
Linebacker 0 Debo Williams – freshman (6'1, 235) 19 Brad Johnson – senior (6'3, 240) 30 Damani Staley - Fifth Year (6'1, 240) 31 Bam Martin-Scott – junior (6'2, 230) 32 Mohamed Kaba – sophomore (6'2, 235) 33 Kolbe Fields – freshman (6'1, 225) 35 K.J. Scott – freshman (6'1, 220) 40 Ronnie Porter – freshman (6'1, 250) 41 Darryle Ware – freshman (6'1, 217) 42 Rosendo Louis Jr. – junior (6'2, 240) 44 Sherrod Greene – senior (6'1, 230) 45 Spencer Eason-Riddle – senior (6'0, 230) 48 Sean McGonigal – junior (6'2, 240)
Defensive back 4 Jaylin Dickerson – junior (6'1, 197) 8 Jahmar Brown – sophomore (6'1, 208) 9 Cam Smith – sophomore (6'1, 187) 10 R.J. Roderick – senior (6'0, 207) 12 Jaylan Foster – senior (5'10, 195) 14 Joey Hunter – sophomore (6'1, 200) 17 La'Dareyen Craig – freshman (6'1, 172) 18 Dominick Hill – sophomore (6'2, 200) 20 Tyrese Ross – junior (6'0, 200) 21 Carlins Platel – graduate (6'1, 205) 24 Marcellas Dial – sophomore (6'0, 190) 25 O'Donnell Fortune – freshman (6'1, 180) 26 Landon Grier – freshman (5'9, 170) 27 Isaiah Norris – junior (6'0, 170) 28 Darius Rush – junior (6'2, 195) 29 David Spaulding – sophomore (6'1, 195) 34 Cam Hardy – freshman (6'1, 190) 36 B.J. Gipson – sophomore (6'4, 209) 43 Joseph Byrnes – freshman (6'0, 183) 47 King-Demenian Ford – freshman (6'2, 207)
Long snappers 36 Hunter Rogers – sophomore (6'1, 197) 46 Cole Rasmussen – sophomore (5'11, 210) 59 Matthew Bailey – freshman (6'2, 210) : 2021 South Carolina Gamecocks Football Roster 08/29/21
Schedule
As part of their penalty for NCAA violations, Kentucky has retroactively vacated its 2021 victory over South Carolina. However, the penalty to vacate victories does not result in a loss (or forfeiture) of the affected game or award a victory to the opponent, therefore South Carolina still considers the game a loss in their official records.
Game summaries
Vs. Eastern Illinois
At East Carolina
At #2 Georgia
Vs. Kentucky
Vs. Troy
At Tennessee
Vs. Vanderbilt
At No. 17 Texas A&M
Vs. Florida
At Missouri
Vs. Auburn
Vs. No. 23 Clemson
Vs. North Carolina
Rankings
References