After stumbling to a disastrous 4-8 finish, Shane Beamer is now watching his roster crumble in real-time through the transfer portal. The offensive line is hemorrhaging talent just when the program desperately needs stability. And the latest defection might be the most damaging because he actually started 11 games this very season.

South Carolina offensive lineman Trovon Baugh is planning to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. The junior just wrapped up his third season with the Gamecocks. His departure is yet another major blow to an offensive line unit that ranked dead last in the SEC in total offense this past season.

Baugh was a three-star prospect out of Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He was ranked as the No. 510 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. What made him particularly valuable was his versatility. He played both right tackle and right guard at Pace Academy, helping the Knights go 8-3 and make Georgia’s AAAA playoffs in 2022.

After earning a spot on the 2023 Freshman All-SEC Team, Baugh was expected to become a cornerstone on the offensive line, but his trajectory never matched that early promise. Instead, he becomes yet another player hoping to recapture that magic somewhere else.

South Carolina’s offensive line was catastrophically bad this season. The Gamecocks ranked second last in the SEC in total offense at just 336 yards per game, scoring a pitiful 22.7 points per contest. Sellers was sacked 42 times throughout the season. He was consistently under siege from opposing defenses.

The unit struggled with injuries, penalties, and inconsistent play all year long. It never established the push needed in the running game or the pocket stability required in the passing attack. Losing Baugh, a player who was supposed to be part of the solution moving forward, only compounds an already dire situation.

Baugh isn’t leaving alone. He joins tight end Michael Smith, offensive lineman Nick Sharpe, defensive lineman Zavion Hardy, linebacker Jaron Willis, and offensive lineman Mac Walters. That’s two offensive linemen gone from a unit that desperately needed continuity and development heading into 2026. For Sellers, fewer experienced linemen equals more hits taken. Shane Beamer brought in offensive line coach Eric Clements from West Virginia to fix the mess. But now he’ll be working with an even thinner roster than anticipated.

Beamer sounds off on national media 

Shane Beamer has clearly hit a breaking point with more than just what was happening on the field. His frustration spilled over when he was asked about the offensive coordinator search that ultimately ended with Kendal Briles taking the job. 

Beamer made it a point to separate the local beat from the national rumor mill. “I appreciate you guys, the media,” he began. “I appreciate you guys in here that try and get accurate information. Because, unfortunately, there is a lot of people, I think, maybe in the national media, that just post stuff and tweet stuff that’s not accurate, and it, unfortunately, affects searches like this.

“So, when there’s a report that comes out on Friday afternoon that we’re finalizing a deal with someone? That’s not accurate… and then, unfortunately, there was another media outlet, not in this room, but, fifteen minutes later, reports something is being finalized.”

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Beamer didn’t drop any names, but he definitely didn’t hold his tongue. He explained that some of those reports were being pushed before he had even met with Briles. And he clearly sees that as more than just annoying background noise. Beamer recognizes how pivotal the Briles hire is for turning things around in 2026. And with portal defections already stacking up, he wasn’t about to let speculation derail what needed to be a clean, professional process.