No one is feeling the burn more than South Carolina fans right now. The Gamecocks fumbled big time in their latest game against the Texas A&M Aggies. Shane Beamer’s squad sprinted to a 30-3 edge, only to faceplant 31-30 against the Texas team. Beamer was catching smoke from all directions as “Fire Beamer” chants echoed across Kyle Field. Still, one analyst is urging the fanbase to show some patience with Beamer.

On the November 17th episode of the CBS Sports College Football podcast, analyst Richard Johnson shared his take on Beamer. “I do think South Carolina, though, is in a situation with Wisconsin, with Florida State, with Maryland, where it may be a little bit better to sit this out and try to put more resources in the roster,” said the analyst. “And try to run this back rather than get on the coaching carousel.”

Mike Elko was poised to ink a deal that would vault him into college football’s top-tier head coaches. But the Aggies came out looking ready to serve up a dud. A promising field goal started quickly spiraling into chaos. What looked like an abomination in a matter of four drives turned into an ambush. Texas A&M scored touchdowns on its first four second-half possessions, erasing a 28-point deficit before EJ Smith shoved in the 31–30 lead.

And just like that, Beamer’s program became the first SEC team since 2004 to choke away a 27+ lead. Teams down 27+ were winless in 286 tries, until South Carolina let one slip. However, Johnson urges South Carolina to give Beamer one more chance. 

“If I’m South Carolina, I try to run this back. Bring LaNorris Sellers back with all the talent in the world and try to do this again,” said the analyst. Already, the seat is hot for Beamer. As the ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum dropped a ‘loser’ tag on the head coach. South Carolina limped out of Baton Rouge with a 20-10 loss, and Sellers felt nearly every bit of it. 

Beamer’s quarterback tossed for 124 yards and a pick on a season-low 55.6% completion rate, and got swallowed up for five sacks in a rough outing under the Tiger Stadium lights. Against Texas A&M, he completed 15 of 30 passes and got sacked 4 times, hitting a new low, 50%. Talking about Beamer getting a chance to work with Sellers, with transfer portal buzz going around?

The quarterback himself has crushed the rumors. As 247 Sport reported, “South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers plans to sit out the remainder of the season and enter the transfer portal. Sources say Miami has emerged as his top destination.” While that’s not official yet, Beamer, too, has been linked to a $27.5 million job. 

Shane Beamer’s name caught inside Virginia Tech’s rumor mill

Industry insiders have been pounding the “Beamer back to Blacksburg” drum for years. They tossed Beamer’s name into the Virginia Tech Hokies’ hat every time the job cracked open after his father, Frank Beamer, stepped away in 2015. This time was no exception. The moment Brent Pry was fired, CBS Sports checked in with a South Carolina source to see if the Gamecocks’ head coach was packing his bags.

“He isn’t going back there unless Gamecock fans turn on him, which could happen,” the source said, noting Beamer still believes he can bring an SEC championship to South Carolina. By Sunday morning, Gamecock Nation was in full mutiny mode, with fans practically begging for a new captain at the helm. However, the Gamecocks can’t make the fan happy right now.

After all, Beamer’s buyout is close to $30 million, which South Carolina can not afford at the moment. Thanks to his new deal running through 2030, Beamer is now sitting at the top-tier table of college football coaches. He pulls in $8.15 million in 2025, plus $100K raises on repeat until he’s pulling roughly $8.65 million in 2030.

It’s not just analysts side-eyeing Shane Beamer anymore. Now, even the TV giants are sending a message. Disney and ESPN just bumped South Carolina’s season-ending rivalry game to the SEC Network. It’s a clear downgrade from the ESPN/ABC billing it was promised before the season. Can the Gamecocks bounce back in their next game against the Chanticleers?