COLUMBIA — They all know why they’re here, and that the timeline is short.
South Carolina retooled its offensive coaching staff because the Gamecocks offense was horrid during a 4-8 season. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kendal Briles, offensive line coach Randy Clements and running backs coach Stan Drayton were introduced on Dec. 12 as men who ran to the opportunity to repair the offense instead of coaches that Shane Beamer reached out to, and in his words, they declined because the opportunity was too big for them.
“There were a lot of eyes on the South Carolina program going into the 2025 season because of what we accomplished in ’24. A lot of that, people would point, whether fair or not, that the offense fell short of expectations,” Beamer said. “Every offensive coordinator that I talked to, or potential offensive coordinator about coming here, they had to understand what a great opportunity this is, but there’s going to be a lot of eyes on you because of what we return and the way that we fell short in ’25.”
There will be eyes, because coaches who preside over two straight losing seasons in this league normally don’t get a third, especially when the season before the losing seasons was a 9-4 affair that was one of the best years in these parts in quite some time. The three rookie coaches at the table know that this could be a one-year deal if they don’t win right away, and that the personnel they inherit and get through the transfer portal may not be up to winning right away.
“These guys ran to this opportunity and said, ‘Let’s freaking go,’” Beamer said.
It starts with the desired identity. Briles has shown he can run prolific offenses, whether it’s on the ground or through the air.
Which one will USC be? To be determined, but Briles at least has a strong idea of who will be at the head of it.
While saying that he’s not fully plugged into what LaNorris Sellers will do in the coming days and weeks — heading to the NFL or returning to USC — he spoke about tailoring the offense around him, of building on what he does well.
“I’m probably not 100 percent in the loop on what’s going on with LaNorris … he’s going to make a decision,” Briles said. “I feel confident that he’s going to be back here.”
The Gamecocks’ offensive line was one of the worst in the country last year, constantly failing to open running lanes or keep the heat off Sellers. Line coach Randy Clements, whom Briles insisted on bringing with him from TCU, is so entwined with Briles that the two know exactly how to meld their philosophies and personnel to what will best suit USC.
But Clements has to fully gauge what he has other than the couple of games he’s already watched and the 10-minute meeting he had with his returnees since he arrived.
“I want to come in with a fresh mindset, give everybody a chance to prove themselves and see where everybody fits,” he said.
He also mentioned the transfer portal and how USC is going to work it. A team can never have enough linemen, especially when the Gamecocks struggled as much as they did.
Running backs coach Stan Drayton will send his men into that line. USC never could get into a rhythm last year with any of their backs.
“I haven’t talked to all of them yet — going to make sure I do that today. But the ones that I’ve talked to, they’re excited to be here, and they’re excited to get better,” Drayton said. “That’s the mindset that I’m waiting to hear. It’s a brand-new start for everybody in that room, and let’s go get it, man.”
The Gamecocks aren’t in great shape with their backs, returning only three scholarship RBs and none coming in from high school. They have to land multiple backs from the portal, and they need to be SEC-ready.
But Drayton said something that should please anxious USC fans. While he has utilized a running back rotation in several of his stops, he’s also been a proponent of feeding the “hot foot.”
That’s keeping the ball in the hands of a guy who just had a memorable play or series. USC had plenty of failures running the ball in 2025, but watching Matt Fuller break a 72-yard touchdown run at LSU and then not touch the ball for two quarters was particularly infuriating.
It’s all ingredients scattered around the kitchen right now. The three new coaches, working with the retained Shawn Elliott and Mike Furrey, will add some and discard others.
They anticipate a delicious meal. And as Beamer said throughout the season, USC is not far off.
Briles agreed.
“Just got to fine-tune it a little bit,” he said.
