After a breakout nine-win season in 2024, that put Shane Beamer squarely on the national radar. South Carolina now finds itself in the thick of a treacherous reload. The Gamecocks have already made moves to plug holes across the depth chart heading into 2025. One of them is coming from the Sun Belt on Tuesday, but the road ahead looks less like a victory lap and more like a survival sprint. Beamer’s squad has lost a staggering 10 players to the NFL, five as draftees and five as undrafted free agents, and the ripple effect is already being felt in Columbia.

While the vibe around South Carolina’s recent recruiting efforts has remained cautiously optimistic, the verdict from insiders around the SEC has begun to lean skeptical. On That SEC Football Podcast, Mike didn’t sugarcoat their assessment of what lies ahead for the Gamecocks. “Lost three NFL starting defensive linemen to the NFL draft last week. All the linebackers are gone. Second-round safety. I mean, just a lot of top-end talent,” Mike said, laying out the kind of roster attrition that even the best coaches struggle to overcome. “Clayton White, I think he’s a hell of a defensive coordinator. I didn’t know who he was when South Carolina hired him. Looks like one of the best hires Shane Beamer will ever make in his life.

But despite praise for the staff, the overall tone was brutally honest. “So, I could be dead wrong. Again, they got a lot of talent there in Columbia,” Mike continued. “But I think South Carolina’s not going to be top five in the SEC. I’m not saying they’re going to be bad, but I just don’t think they’re going to be quite elite, if that makes sense.” And frankly, it does. With the SEC growing more unforgiving by the year, especially with Texas and Oklahoma joining the fray. Teams like South Carolina must be surgical in the transfer portal and near flawless in player development.

One of the newer Band-Aids applied to the roster is Troy Pikes, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound DL from Georgia Southern. A multisport athlete in high school, Pikes played in all 13 games last season and logged 13 total tackles with a tackle for loss before hopping into the portal during the spring window. While he may not be an instant game-changer on paper, Pikes brings experience, physicality, and SEC size to a D-line room that’s looking for a new identity after losing three NFL-caliber starters.

It doesn’t stop there. Former four-star OT Kam Pringle—once considered a future anchor on the Gamecocks’ O-line—is also heading for new pastures. On Tuesday, Pringle committed to Syracuse after entering the transfer portal on April 21. At 6-foot-8 and 336 pounds, Pringle’s physical tools were off the charts, but his exit adds another crack to a foundation that Shane Beamer is trying to reinforce. Losing a player of that size and pedigree after just one season is less about depth and more about long-term stability.

Still, amid the chaos, South Carolina’s staff has worked to rearm the defense through the portal. According to rankings, the Gamecocks’ transfer class sits at No. 15 nationally—solid, if not spectacular. Nine defenders have been added so far, with the trenches being the most addressed area. Six of those newcomers are DLs or edge rushers, a clear response to the program’s mass exodus up front. This shows that while Shane Beamer and his staff are under pressure, they’re not idling—they’re attacking needs with urgency.

The question now is whether it’s enough.

Beamer at No. 8? Ranking or wake-up call?

South Carolina’s boss Shane Beamer just landed at No. 8 in USA Today Sports’ 2025 SEC head coach rankings. Gamecock fans might be raising an eyebrow (or both). Is that spot too low for a guy who’s been changing the national narrative around the program? Or is it just more fuel for the fire?

Beamer has delivered serious wins in the transfer portal and continues stacking recruiting victories like it’s a backyard BBQ—he just keeps pulling in big names. Not to mention, he’s one of the most relatable recruiters. That connection, that energy—it’s real, and it’s working.

He’s also managed to raise SC’s profile on the national stage, which isn’t easy in a league that constantly overshadows programs like his. “No. 8” may feel like a slight, but let’s face it—this is the SEC. It’s the land of giants, and now with Oklahoma and Texas in the mix, the mountain’s even taller. Still, given everything Beamer’s accomplished in a short amount of time, you’ve got to wonder—is the rest of the country underestimating Shane Beamer?