South Carolina Football

South Carolina has reportedly settled on a starting quarterback ahead of Saturday's season opener. 

Per ESPN's Chris Low, former graduate assistant Zeb Noland will be under center for the Gamecocks against Eastern Illinois. 

South Carolina will mark Noland's third different college team since 2017. He began his collegiate career at Iowa State, appearing in nine games over two seasons with the Cyclones. 

Noland announced in December 2018 that he was transferring to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. The Georgia native wound up serving as the No. 2 quarterback for the Bison during the 2019 season, behind current San Francisco 49ers rookie Trey Lance. 

After North Dakota State's 2020 season was delayed to this spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Noland won the starting job. The 6'2", 232-pound former 3-star recruit threw for 721 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions in seven appearances.

Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer initially brought Noland on board as a graduate assistant for this season, but a foot injury to Luke Doty opened up an opportunity for him to return to the field. 

Noland and redshirt senior Jason Brown had been competing to determine South Carolina's quarterback to start the season. 

The Gamecocks will host Eastern Illinois at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.    

Monday marked the start of the 2021 SEC media days from the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. 

After last year's event was conducted virtually due because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year will mark the first in-person media days for coaches and players from every program in the SEC to discuss their expectations for the upcoming season since 2019. 

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron was the main attraction on Day 1, but SEC commissioner Greg Sankey kicked things off with some notable information about how the schedule will be handled in the event of potential coronavirus issues for teams. 

Addressing reporters, Sankey said the schedule this season will not allow for games to be rescheduled, so teams with COVID-19 outbreaks that prevent them from playing will have to forfeit/

"We have not built in the kind of time we did last year, particularly at the end of the season, to accommodate [postponements]," he said. "And unless we're going to do that, our teams are going to have to be fully prepared to play their games as scheduled."

Sankey also made it known he would like to see more teams in the conference get more players vaccinated, as only six of the 14 members are currently at the 80 percent threshold. 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is making it clear. The year of rescheduling games is over. If one team can't play due to COVID then it's going to be a forfeit. He is imploring his member schools to get up to the 80 percent vaccination level. So far only 6 of 14 have done so.

— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) July 19, 2021

There were a total of 139 games across college football that were canceled or postponed last season because of COVID-19 issues, including 15 involving SEC teams. 

Another topic that Sankey touched on was the adoption of a name, image and likeness policy that allows players to earn money while still maintaining their college eligibility. 

Sankey did agree with the temporary rule adopted by the NCAA for the time being, but added he would like to see a national standard adopted. 

Greg Sankey on NIL: "The NCAA rules can no longer resolve key issues. We need a federal solution. ... Congressional action is necessary if we're gonna provide every student a clear, consistent and fair opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) July 19, 2021

One area that the SEC—and FBS football, in general—has received scrutiny for is the lack of diversity among head coaches. 

ESPN's Ivan Maisel noted in December that 13 of 130 FBS programs had a Black head coach. There are currently zero in the SEC after Derek Mason was fired by Vanderbilt in November. 

Sankey announced Monday that the conference is working to build diversity among its coaches to give "historically underrepresented groups” more opportunities going forward. 

The SEC is kicking off an effort to build diversity among football coaches. The league will now be involved to make sure "historically underrepresented groups” are considered in the hiring process, commish Greg Sankey said. There are zero HCs from those groups now.

— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) July 19, 2021

After Sankey's session ended, the University of Florida contingent led by head coach Dan Mullen. 

Mullen had a matter-of-fact response when asked about Georgia as the preseason favorite to win the SEC East. 

Dan Mullen at SEC Media Days on Georgia being the team to beat in the SEC East: ‘Didn’t they say that last year?’

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) July 19, 2021

Florida stunned the Bulldogs 44-28 in November en route to winning the division and earning a spot in the SEC title game for the first time since 2016. 

Gators defensive lineman Zach Carter echoed his head coach about the team being underestimated heading into the season. 

Florida DL Zach Carter says the team sees what people have been saying about the Gators this offseason.

"I think it's a good thing that we have that chip on our shoulder this year, and we want people to be surprised this year." pic.twitter.com/MoQXjZx6ug

— Patrick Brickman (@PatrickBrickman) July 19, 2021

One of the marquee matchups for the Gators this season will be a home game against Alabama on Sept. 18. This will be the first regular-season meeting between the two teams since 2014. 

UF’s Dan Mullen on hosting Alabama for 1st time in 10 years: “I’d like to do away with permanent cross over games (between East & West division teams), so you get these type of games more often"

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 19, 2021

The Crimson Tide have dominated the rivalry with seven consecutive wins since 2009. Florida's last win was on Dec. 6, 2008, in the SEC Championship Game when Tim Tebow was still with the program. 

Another team on Florida's schedule this season will be LSU at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 16. The Tigers are looking to rebound in 2021 after a disappointing 5-5 record last year. 

The biggest issue for LSU in 2020 was the defense that allowed 34.9 points per game. Bo Pelini was fired as defensive coordinator and replaced by Daronte Jones, who spent the past five seasons working as an assistant in the NFL. 

Orgeron explained what he wants to see improve on his defense this season with Jones coaching the group:

We have to eliminate explosive plays. Too many explosive plays, too many missed assignments. Too many receivers running down the field free, and we played a lot of man and a lot of combination of man, stuff like that. Some of it was simple. Some of it was too complicated.

The always-colorful LSU head coach had a unique response when asked what he was interviewing assistant coaches during the offseason. 

Ed Orgeron said he imagined he was an LSU Football player while interviewing assistant coaches this offseason.

"I wanted to see how well they could communicate to our players."

— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) July 19, 2021

One of the key players for the Tigers who will be instrumental in their success is cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. The junior star is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, but he's got a huge role to play on the outside for LSU's defense. 

Even though cornerback is his primary position, Stingley didn't close the door on possibly getting involved in the offense if the coaches want to take advantage of his skill set. 

Derek Stingley Jr. is asked if he'll play wide receiver at #LSU this year.

"That depends on whether Coach O thinks I should be or not."

Do you think you should be?

"Whatever I need to do to help the team win."

— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) July 19, 2021

Stingley has been LSU's primary punt returner over the past two seasons. He averaged 16.2 yards per return on six attempts in 2020. 

Orgeron told SportsTalk with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic (h/t Crissy Ford of LSU Tigers Wire) in June that "we’d like to use" Stingley for a few snaps on offense, but left the final decision up to his star defender if he's comfortable with it. 

As for what he expects from LSU in 2021, Stingley wants to see the team develop its chemistry as the season goes along. 

Derek Stingley Jr. is here. Asked what he's looking forward to:

"I'm looking forward to the team as a group as a whole and seeing what real chemistry looks like."

Chemistry been a theme with Stingley today.

— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) July 19, 2021

One reason LSU struggled last season could have been an inability to develop chemistry with so many new players in prominent roles. 

After winning the College Football Playoff Championship in 2019, the Tigers tied an NCAA record with 14 players selected in the NFL draft. Joe Burrow, K'Lavon Chaisson, Justin Jefferson, Patrick Queen and Clyde Edwards-Helaire were all first-round picks in 2020. 

Among the new head coaches in the SEC this year is Shane Beamer at South Carolina. The son of former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer is getting his first opportunity to lead a program after spending the past 17 seasons as an assistant coach. 

Based on his opening statement Monday, Beamer is very excited to get things started this season. 

Shane Beamer over 12 minutes in his opening statement, topics ranging from position-by-position previews to an overall endorsement for the future of South Carolina.

"The best days of South Carolina football are right in front of us."

Y'all think this guy is excited to be here?

— Cam Gaskins (@CamGaskinsTV) July 19, 2021

Shane Beamer impressive in his Media Days debut. He's name-checking B-list SEC Network talent. He mentioned his wife working Media Days as a @HailState intern. He mentioned Alabama courting his father. He's poised, confident and comfortable.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 19, 2021

Beamer knows South Carolina very well from his time as an assistant under Steve Spurrier from 2007-10. He seemed to be utilizing his time at the microphone to recruit at least one player in particular.

Shane Beamer: "We are going to pass to the tight end. We WANT the premier tight ends in America."

Wonder if Oscar Delp is listening today?

— Ben Portnoy (@bportnoy15) July 19, 2021

The Gamecocks are in the running for Oscar Delp, a 4-star recruit and No. 3 tight end in the 2022 class by 247Sports composite rankings. There is heavy competition for the Georgia native, including from the Bulldogs, Crimson Tide, Gators and Michigan. 

Beamer's exuberant personality hasn't won South Carolina any games yet, but he appears ready to handle the difficult task of coaching in the SEC. 

South Carolina has finished under .500 in each of the past two seasons. Its .200 winning percentage in 2020 (2-8) was the seventh-worst single-season mark in program history. 

Tuesday's SEC media days session will feature representatives from Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. 

Gunner Stockton, a 5-star recruit from Tiger, Georgia, decommitted from South Carolina on Tuesday. 

Stockton made the announcement on social media:

pic.twitter.com/8WNVtZfUOY

— Gunner Stockton (@GunnerStockton) January 12, 2021

He is considered the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2022, the No. 3 player from the state of Georgia and the No. 27 player overall, per 247Sports.com.   

Per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.com, Stockton had committed to South Carolina on Aug. 20, though he had "given then head coach Will Muschamp and his offensive coordinator Mike Bobo his pledge. Muschamp was let go in November and Bobo was promoted to interim head coach and has since moved on to Auburn where he is the offensive coordinator under new head coach Bryan Harsin."

Stockton was reportedly closest with Connor Shaw—the former South Carolina quarterback who is currently the director of player development at South Carolina—and Mike Bobo during the recruiting process. That makes Auburn the likely front-runners to land Stockton, though plenty of schools seem likely to jump back into the fray.

Stockton is coming off an incredibly productive junior season that saw him throw for 3,128 yards, 45 touchdowns and just four interceptions while rushing for 1,581 yards and 26 scores. In the age of spread offenses and dual-threat quarterbacks, he has the makings of a potential superstar. 

It's a major loss for South Carolina and new head coach Shane Beamer, which currently doesn't have any 3-star recruits or higher in the Class of 2022. The Gamecocks have the 88th-ranked Class of 2021, per 247Sports.com's composite rankings, with no 4- or 5-star recruits. 

South Carolina has moved quickly to find a new head coach, with the school reportedly set to hire Oklahoma assistant head coach Shane Beamer.

Per The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, the son of former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer is expected to take over the Gamecocks program.

After a 2-5 start this season, South Carolina announced Will Muschamp's firing on Nov. 15. The 49-year-old went 28-30 overall and had three losing seasons in five years with the program.

Since winning 11 games in three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013 under Steve Spurrier, the Gamecocks have won more than seven games once in the past seven years. They have finished fourth or lower in the SEC East six times during that span.

Beamer, 43, was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He has been an assistant coach for the past 20 years since getting his start as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech in 2000. He spent four seasons as an assistant on Spurrier's staff in South Carolina from 2007 to 2010.

Since January 2018, Beamer has coached tight ends and halfbacks under OU head coach Lincoln Riley.

Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze said he wasn't interested in job openings such as the one at South Carolina after Will Muschamp was fired last weekend.

"I won't even entertain things of that nature at this point," Freeze told ESPN College GameDay's Gene Wojciechowski. "I'm at total peace with staying here, as long as they'll have me."

Freeze didn't dismiss the idea of returning to a Power Five program, however. 

"There's always that itch," he said. "Like man, I want to prove it, I want to go do it and I want to do it in that biggest arena that I can. So, yeah, I'm made that way."

Liberty is trying to keep him around, however, signing him last week to a contract extension through 2026. While terms of the extension weren't announced, ESPN's Chris Low reported "the deal would place Freeze among the top five highest-paid non-Power Five head coaches in college football—which would mean his average salary would be $3 million-plus per year."

"All aspects of our program are on the rise under Hugh's leadership, and we are putting the infrastructure in place to make this one of the top Group of 5 programs in the country," Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw said Nov. 11.

Freeze is in his second season at Liberty, leading the school to an 8-0 record and No. 21 ranking heading into Saturday.

His last job did not end well, however, as Freeze resigned at Ole Miss ahead of the 2017 campaign after "school officials found a pattern that included phone calls [from Freeze's university-issued cellphone] to a number associated with a female escort service," per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

Ole Miss committed a number of NCAA infractions under Freeze's watch (2012-16), and he was charged with failure to monitor his staff. The head coach called that and his resignation "rock bottom."

"That was as low as it gets professionally," he said. "To lose what your name stands for and to know you caused it is not easy."

South Carolina star Jaycee Horn announced Monday he's sitting out the remainder of the season to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft:

I told em it was my turn... I’m guessing that the time here. All Luv! #Chosen1 #SEATBELT pic.twitter.com/dSwkIFz2JB

— Jaycee Horn (@jayceehorn_10) November 16, 2020

The news comes one day after the Gamecocks fired head coach Will Muschamp following a 2-5 start to the year. Horn, whose father is former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, finishes 2020 with 16 total tackles and two interceptions.

Jaycee Horn: Lowest completion % allowed among SEC CBs (33.3%) pic.twitter.com/Da1YpqpxsJ

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 16, 2020

Horn's departure will likely exacerbate one of South Carolina's biggest problems. The team is 110th in passing yards allowed (288.3 per game) and 116th in opponent passer rating (168.33).

In what proved to be Muschamp's final game, the Gamecocks allowed 59 points and 708 total yards to Ole Miss. Rebels quarterback Matt Corral finished 28-of-32 for 513 yards and four touchdowns. 

South Carolina can still finish .500 by beating Missouri, Georgia and Kentucky. Running the table was hard enough as is and might be impossible for interim coach Mike Bobo without his best defensive player.

Horn isn't yet a surefire lock for the first round for 2021, but he's good enough that being a Day 2 pick should be his draft floor. Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner ranked Horn 44th overall in his most recent big board in October.

"Horn's tape against Auburn's Seth Williams was the most dominant any corner has put on film this season," Renner wrote. "He's still a little too up and down, though, and has four penalties already in five games."

Will Muschamp did not make it through his fifth season as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

On Sunday, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported South Carolina elected to part ways with Muschamp following a 2-5 start to the 2020 campaign. South Carolina allowed 59 points in a 17-point loss to the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday and has lost three in a row following a 2-2 start.

South Carolina confirmed the news and said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo would be the interim head coach.

South Carolina hired Muschamp prior to the 2016 campaign with the hope he could lead the program to new heights after Steve Spurrier was in charge for 11 seasons.

It appeared as if Muschamp had the Gamecocks headed in the right direction when he improved on his 6-7 record in his first season with a 9-4 mark and Outback Bowl victory over Michigan in his second season.

Unfortunately for South Carolina, that was the high point of his tenure.

The SEC East school went 7-6 in 2018 and 4-8 in 2019 and is nowhere near the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and others in the conference. Muschamp was just 28-30 during his time, which is partially a testament to the difficulty of playing in the SEC and partially a testament to his underachieving ways as a head coach.

He was also the head coach of Florida from 2011 until the school fired him 11 games into the 2014 campaign and was just 28-21 with one season of more than seven wins.

That is far below even baseline expectations for the proud Gators program.

As for the Gamecocks, Clint Buckley of 247Sports noted they extended Muschamp's contract through the 2024 season at the end of the 2018 campaign. However, Muschamp reworked his deal last December in an effort to keep running backs coach Thomas Brown on staff, cutting his contract buyout from $15.3 million to $13.2 million.

Highly touted passer Gunner Stockton committed to South Carolina on Thursday:

COMMITTED!!! 🤙🏽 pic.twitter.com/Ri8Edd6E7p

— Gunner Stockton (@GunnerStockton) August 20, 2020

Stockton indicated in July the Gamecocks were one of two finalists with Georgia. 

The Tiger, Georgia, native is the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 34 player overall in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022.

Dating back to 2000, Stockton is one of the best recruits to commit to South Carolina. His 0.9861 composite rating on 247Sports is the seventh-highest overall and the best for a quarterback, eclipsing former Gamecocks signal-caller Stephen Garcia (0.9759).

Stockton's numbers as a sophomore highlight why he was so highly sought after. He threw for 3,472 yards and 43 touchdowns while running for 1,179 yards and scores.

This kid is dealing..... 14-0 @RabunFootball on 2 drives. @GunnerStockton @ErikRichardsUSA @High5Sports pic.twitter.com/b4f0pgzVQL

— Rusty Mansell (@RustyMansell_) November 9, 2019

4th and 7, this a damn dart from a sophomore @GunnerStockton . No.1 QB in country on @247Sports already for 2022. Will visit Alabama on Saturday. @HankSouth247 @High5Sports @ErikRichardsUSA pic.twitter.com/Qn4K53vReE

— Rusty Mansell (@RustyMansell_) November 9, 2019

South Carolina has yet to win more than nine games under head coach Will Muschamp, and the Gamecocks are 1-2 in bowl games through his first four years.

Speaking with Dawgs247's Rusty Mansell in July, Stockton explained that he thought the program can climb to the top of the SEC:

"I believe championships can be won in South Carolina. The facilities are in place, the support is there, and it's ready to take off. It's well documented the relationship that I have with the Shaw and Bobo family, but when I went to watch South Carolina practice, I found myself watching Coach Muschamp more than anybody else. His energy was unreal, and you could see the players respond to him. Then, I met with him in his office and he was extremely easy to talk to. He believes in South Carolina and he wants to bring the fans a championship. I loved everything about who and what he stands for."

Ryan Hilinski had an up-and-down freshman season, throwing for 2,357 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 58.1 percent of his passes. He was the No. 2 pro-style QB in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, so he'll presumably remain the starter for 2020 and likely 2021.

Muschamp also added Luke Doty for 2020, with Doty sitting fourth in 247Sports' composite rankings of the top dual-threat QBs.

When he arrives, Stockton should have some serious competition for the starting gig.

When South Carolina reeled off three-straight 11-win seasons under Steve Spurrier, the team was built around dominant defenses and a strong running game. That recipe probably won't work anymore in the SEC as teams have embraced the spread offense more and more.

Getting a commitment from Stockton after having already signed Hilinski and Doty shows Muschamp is looking to put a big emphasis on the aerial attack going forward.

Former South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and former running back Marcus Lattimore are among those advocating for the school to rename its wellness center.

As Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports noted, the wellness center is named after Strom Thurmond, who was a U.S. Senator from 1956 to 2003. He was a segregationist who switched from the Democratic party to the Republican party because he opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"To celebrate well known segregationist Strom Thurmond's legacy by keeping his name on our Wellness Center sends a contradicting message to our black students @UofSC," both players tweeted. "We can no longer be held back by those whose ideals represent division. We must continue the fight for equality."

https://twitter.com/TheWorldof_AJ/status/1273331019173822465

To celebrate well known segragationist Strom Thurmond’s legacy by keeping his name on our Wellness Center sends a contradicting message to our black students @UofSC. We can no longer be held back by those whose ideals represent division. We must continue to fight for equality.

— Marcus Lattimore (@MarcusLattimore) June 17, 2020

The petition in Jeffery's tweet is aiming for 15,000 signatures and already featured more than 13,600 as of Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

This comes after Clemson's board voted to remove John C. Calhoun's name from its honors college. Calhoun, who was the vice president of the United States from 1825 through 1832, was an advocate for slavery, and Clemson was built on the grounds of his former plantation.

Former Clemson players Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins joined the movement to rename the honors college:

Clemson University should not honor slave owner John C. Calhoun in any way. His name should be removed from all University property and programming. I am joining the students, faculty & DeAndre to restart this petition to rename the Calhoun Honors College.https://t.co/GdhtCZKFnZ

— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) June 9, 2020

Clemson University still honors the name of slave owner John C. Calhoun on its buildings, signs, and in the name of its honors program. I am joining the voices of the students and faculty to restarted this petition to rename the Calhoun Honors College. https://t.co/1198BZ8FeS pic.twitter.com/xQmXmBPUeW

— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) June 8, 2020

Lattimore was a running back at South Carolina from 2010 through 2012 and ran for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season before a knee injury impacted his career.

Jeffery was a wide receiver for the Gamecocks from 2009 through 2011 and tallied 1,517 receiving yards in 2010. He was a 2013 Pro Bowler for the Chicago Bears and 2017 Super Bowl champion for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former South Carolina wide receiver Moe Brown is one step closer to earning a seat in Congress. 

The Gamecocks alum won the democratic primary for the 5th District of South Carolina on Tuesday, defeating Sidney Moore for the right to face off against republican incumbent Ralph Norman, who has held the seat since 2017. 

I see you Moe! Congrats!!!! https://t.co/aO2NQugN4p

— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) June 10, 2020

Brown, who played under Steve Spurrier at SC from 2006 to 2009, ran on policies ranging from expanding the Affordable Care Act, healthcare as a right, automatic voter registration upon turning 18 and reducing the cost of higher education. 

During his time at South Carolina, Brown, a team captain, appeared in 49 games for the Gamecocks, compiling 1,124 total receiving yards on 85 catches with four career touchdowns—three in his senior year.

Brown was one of Spurrier's first recruits when he got to Columbia, passing up on offers from Maryland and Tennessee to help lay the building blocks for a team that would win the SEC East one year after his graduation. 

At South Carolina, Brown earned a degree in marketing and finance and later worked for Republican Gov. Nikki Haley at the Department of Commerce, where his website says he helped deliver more than 5,000 jobs and over a billion dollars in economic development to rural towns. 

The Anderson, South Carolina, native will now work to win a seat previously held by Mick Mulvaney, who left his position to assume a number of roles in the Donald Trump Administration. Mulvaney has since been named acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, and from January 2019 to March 31, 2020, acting White House Chief of Staff. 

Mulvaney was elected with 59.2 percent of the vote in the general election back in 2016. After Mulvaney was named to his role at the OMB, Norman resigned as a state representative to campaign for the seat, winning the Republican nomination by just 221 votes before defeating Democrat Archie Parnell in a special election in 2017 with 51.04 percent of the vote. 

Norman defeated Parnell again in the 2018 general election with 57.03 percent of the vote, though the democratic party broke with Parnell after reports of domestic abuse surfaced a few months before the election.