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*** The Monday launch of Garnet Trust - more on that later - has admittedly has the post-Mizzou Insider Report a day late.
We will structure this one a bit differently than our usual Monday editions with a bit more time having elapsed since Saturday's game in the other Columbia.
There's recruiting matters to get too, as well.
- This one was expected to be evenly matched heading into the game. And, although Missouri certainly didn't play "well" in this contest, the bottom line is that South Carolina made too many mistakes to win. There's plenty to dissect in terms of scheme, coaching, all that stuff, no doubt.
Still, if Carolina avoids even just one of the critical errors in this contest, it's possible the team walks away with a road win despite playing a less-than-stellar game. Things that seemed little like field position and letting Missouri sustain some drives - even if they didn't end up in points - had a significant effect on this low-margin-of-error game. There were many such mistakes, but the two that stood out were the fumble deep in Missouri territory and the strip-sack for a touchdown.
On the first, with Parker White on the sideline, you are nearly guaranteed to walk away with a 10-0 line at that point, if not 14-0.
Shane Beamer frequently points out that if you score on defense, your chances of winning go way up. Carolina was on the wrong side of that one on Saturday.
- Starting quarterback Jason Brown was asked during our exclusive Garnet Trust interview with him on Monday to assess the positives and negatives from his first two starts and what will be a point of emphasis for him going forward for the final two.
He skipped past anything else and went right to the "spin out" move that was such a topic of conversation during and after the game. Brown observed that he went to the move way too often, and felt that Missouri had scouted it and adjusted in-game (Missouri rushed their ends very wide a lot of the game) to account for it, too.
Brown showed in the Florida game his ability to navigate the pocket, both in and around it, as evidenced by some of the throws he made. His best play against Missouri was one in which he stepped up, moved to the right, and delivered a beautiful ball to a streaking Josh Vann for a touchdown.
In the last two games, Brown's pocket movement will be a key to his success, particularly against Clemson, a team that will throw all sorts of stuff at a quarterback and offensive front.
- PFF had Carolina at just six missed tackles on defense during the game, but it felt like a lot more watching live, didn't it? There were some big plays in this one that were surrendered, and the Gamecocks didn't have much of an answer for the excellent Tyler Badie at running back.
It's hard to shake the feeling that Carolina could have gone down and scored with a stop on that final Missouri drive. But it's hard to shake the feeling of disappointment that Missouri moved the chains when everyone knew that Badie would be the focal point.
Despite Badie reeling off runs of 6, 30 and 6 yards, respectively, to open that final Tigers drive, a holding penalty backed the Tigers up. Quarterback Brady Cook ran for 11 yards on a second down, though, and Badie sealed the deal with an 11-yard run on a third and 3.
- Although this would fall in the "moral victory" category, it is nonetheless striking how Shane Beamer's been able to keep this squad playing hard until the final whistle. His positivity - both publicly and privately - has really helped the psyche of this football team, which has been through some difficult times both this season and in prior years. Although the on-field results have not reached the limit of what everyone in and outside the building have hoped for, there's nonetheless
Rather than being beaten down by what happened on Saturday, our impression is that the team recognizes it was a significant missed opportunity. The message from Beamer internally has been that Carolina still has two great opportunities - two very meaningful games - in front of them to close out the year.
*** On Saturday afternoon, Wes Mitchell rolled out an update on Antonio Williams, a player that of course has been a significant point of emphasis for Shane Beamer and his staff ever since he was hired last December.
So we don't bury the lede, the Gamecocks are still heavily in this one. At one point, it was thought that Williams would make a decision earlier in the process. The timeline was prolonged - more than once - which has kept the door open for others.
Ole Miss, which is playing well on offense and has ties to Williams' family, hosted him for an official visit over the weekend. Here's to thinking that the Rebels aren't the slam dunk that some are saying, but nonetheless a team that needs to be heavily considered when it comes to the Palmetto State standout.
TigerIllustrated.com has reported that while Clemson has stayed in communication with Williams throughout, there's been an uptick lately in that level. The Tigers scouted Williams this past Friday.
Clemson has prioritized Virginia wideout Andre Greene Jr. above Williams in this class by previously dispensing an offer - a fact which Williams and those close to him know - and hosted Greene on an official visit over the weekend.
UNC has been considered the front runner for Greene, although Clemson did get the last at-bat prior to his November 17 (Wednesday) decision date.
As Wes has reported, Clemson's jumping in doesn't automatically shoot the Tigers to the top as some have posited. It could complicate matters for the Gamecock staff, which has done everything in its power to make Williams a priority in this class.
Let's see what the next couple weeks holds for Williams as far as visit plans, potential new offers, and the like. There will be much to track as December approaches.
* Another Gamecock wide receiver offer, Pittsburgh commitment Camden Brown, took an official visit to Florida State over the weekend.
Brown has mentioned to GamecockCentral.com previously that he has been looking to schedule an official visit to Columbia, but no word on a firm date just yet.
* One of South Carolina's 2023 offers at the tight end position has been out to Georgia's Jelani Thurman, a 6-foot-6 athlete who also plays basketball in high school.
Thurman will be hosted by the coaching staff this weekend for the Auburn game, his first visit to Columbia.
He's one we're going to be tracking pretty closely in the 2023 class.
* In-state OL Markee Anderson out of Dorman, a mutual target of both Clemson and South Carolina, will be in Williams-Brice watching those two dual in the season finale later this month.
South Carolina got an early jump, but the Tigers eventually offered and will certainly be a major factor for the Upstate lineman.
*** As a numbers reminder for the 2022 class, the Gamecocks currently sit at 18 verbal commitments. The actual number of "initial counters" is at 20, however, due to a couple current Carolina roster members taking spots.
That leaves 5 additional spots, but as we have mentioned there will be room for more in this class due to the NCAA legislation allowing teams additional slots to replace transfers. Carolina's staff will have up to 7 additional spots based on how many players transfer out, and the expectation right now would have to be for the Gamecocks to hit that and get to a space in which a 32-man class is possible.
There is still work to be done in terms of high school targets, but expect a lot of activity in the transfer portal once the season concludes.
There's an expectation we could see some numbers-inflated classes across the country, given the NCAA's ruling for this year, the portal, and teams just being in need of roster revisions.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, whose team just lost at home to Kansas, noted for example that he believes his program could have up to 33 new scholarship players next year.
Expect a good many fresh faces in Columbia next season, too.
*** In the opening paragraph of this report, we referenced Garnet Trust, a game-changing local NIL mechanism that launched yesterday.
If you want to learn more about Garnet Trust, visit the website and check out the FAQ section. Or, feel free to ask me in this thread (or anywhere on GamecockCentral.com!)
A Gamecock football starter recorded an initial message exclusively for supporters that will be sent out this week.
Supporters will get access to exclusive experiences and also help fund some awesome content that will be hosted by GamecockCentral.com.
*** Hope everyone has a great week!
Post Up Careers can guide you through this process with their customized resume services. Get personalized coaching to up your game in the job market with Post Up Careers, a company whose mission is to help you navigate all aspects of your career: resume writing, interview preparation, LinkedIn optimization, and much more. Make your talents stand out with the help of a company owned by a lifelong Carolina fan and alumnus – visit PostUpCareers.com or email franklin@postupcareers.com today.
*** The Monday launch of Garnet Trust - more on that later - has admittedly has the post-Mizzou Insider Report a day late.
We will structure this one a bit differently than our usual Monday editions with a bit more time having elapsed since Saturday's game in the other Columbia.
There's recruiting matters to get too, as well.
- This one was expected to be evenly matched heading into the game. And, although Missouri certainly didn't play "well" in this contest, the bottom line is that South Carolina made too many mistakes to win. There's plenty to dissect in terms of scheme, coaching, all that stuff, no doubt.
Still, if Carolina avoids even just one of the critical errors in this contest, it's possible the team walks away with a road win despite playing a less-than-stellar game. Things that seemed little like field position and letting Missouri sustain some drives - even if they didn't end up in points - had a significant effect on this low-margin-of-error game. There were many such mistakes, but the two that stood out were the fumble deep in Missouri territory and the strip-sack for a touchdown.
On the first, with Parker White on the sideline, you are nearly guaranteed to walk away with a 10-0 line at that point, if not 14-0.
Shane Beamer frequently points out that if you score on defense, your chances of winning go way up. Carolina was on the wrong side of that one on Saturday.
- Starting quarterback Jason Brown was asked during our exclusive Garnet Trust interview with him on Monday to assess the positives and negatives from his first two starts and what will be a point of emphasis for him going forward for the final two.
He skipped past anything else and went right to the "spin out" move that was such a topic of conversation during and after the game. Brown observed that he went to the move way too often, and felt that Missouri had scouted it and adjusted in-game (Missouri rushed their ends very wide a lot of the game) to account for it, too.
Brown showed in the Florida game his ability to navigate the pocket, both in and around it, as evidenced by some of the throws he made. His best play against Missouri was one in which he stepped up, moved to the right, and delivered a beautiful ball to a streaking Josh Vann for a touchdown.
In the last two games, Brown's pocket movement will be a key to his success, particularly against Clemson, a team that will throw all sorts of stuff at a quarterback and offensive front.
- PFF had Carolina at just six missed tackles on defense during the game, but it felt like a lot more watching live, didn't it? There were some big plays in this one that were surrendered, and the Gamecocks didn't have much of an answer for the excellent Tyler Badie at running back.
It's hard to shake the feeling that Carolina could have gone down and scored with a stop on that final Missouri drive. But it's hard to shake the feeling of disappointment that Missouri moved the chains when everyone knew that Badie would be the focal point.
Despite Badie reeling off runs of 6, 30 and 6 yards, respectively, to open that final Tigers drive, a holding penalty backed the Tigers up. Quarterback Brady Cook ran for 11 yards on a second down, though, and Badie sealed the deal with an 11-yard run on a third and 3.
- Although this would fall in the "moral victory" category, it is nonetheless striking how Shane Beamer's been able to keep this squad playing hard until the final whistle. His positivity - both publicly and privately - has really helped the psyche of this football team, which has been through some difficult times both this season and in prior years. Although the on-field results have not reached the limit of what everyone in and outside the building have hoped for, there's nonetheless
Rather than being beaten down by what happened on Saturday, our impression is that the team recognizes it was a significant missed opportunity. The message from Beamer internally has been that Carolina still has two great opportunities - two very meaningful games - in front of them to close out the year.
*** On Saturday afternoon, Wes Mitchell rolled out an update on Antonio Williams, a player that of course has been a significant point of emphasis for Shane Beamer and his staff ever since he was hired last December.
So we don't bury the lede, the Gamecocks are still heavily in this one. At one point, it was thought that Williams would make a decision earlier in the process. The timeline was prolonged - more than once - which has kept the door open for others.
Ole Miss, which is playing well on offense and has ties to Williams' family, hosted him for an official visit over the weekend. Here's to thinking that the Rebels aren't the slam dunk that some are saying, but nonetheless a team that needs to be heavily considered when it comes to the Palmetto State standout.
TigerIllustrated.com has reported that while Clemson has stayed in communication with Williams throughout, there's been an uptick lately in that level. The Tigers scouted Williams this past Friday.
Clemson has prioritized Virginia wideout Andre Greene Jr. above Williams in this class by previously dispensing an offer - a fact which Williams and those close to him know - and hosted Greene on an official visit over the weekend.
UNC has been considered the front runner for Greene, although Clemson did get the last at-bat prior to his November 17 (Wednesday) decision date.
As Wes has reported, Clemson's jumping in doesn't automatically shoot the Tigers to the top as some have posited. It could complicate matters for the Gamecock staff, which has done everything in its power to make Williams a priority in this class.
Let's see what the next couple weeks holds for Williams as far as visit plans, potential new offers, and the like. There will be much to track as December approaches.
* Another Gamecock wide receiver offer, Pittsburgh commitment Camden Brown, took an official visit to Florida State over the weekend.
Brown has mentioned to GamecockCentral.com previously that he has been looking to schedule an official visit to Columbia, but no word on a firm date just yet.
* One of South Carolina's 2023 offers at the tight end position has been out to Georgia's Jelani Thurman, a 6-foot-6 athlete who also plays basketball in high school.
Thurman will be hosted by the coaching staff this weekend for the Auburn game, his first visit to Columbia.
He's one we're going to be tracking pretty closely in the 2023 class.
* In-state OL Markee Anderson out of Dorman, a mutual target of both Clemson and South Carolina, will be in Williams-Brice watching those two dual in the season finale later this month.
South Carolina got an early jump, but the Tigers eventually offered and will certainly be a major factor for the Upstate lineman.
*** As a numbers reminder for the 2022 class, the Gamecocks currently sit at 18 verbal commitments. The actual number of "initial counters" is at 20, however, due to a couple current Carolina roster members taking spots.
That leaves 5 additional spots, but as we have mentioned there will be room for more in this class due to the NCAA legislation allowing teams additional slots to replace transfers. Carolina's staff will have up to 7 additional spots based on how many players transfer out, and the expectation right now would have to be for the Gamecocks to hit that and get to a space in which a 32-man class is possible.
There is still work to be done in terms of high school targets, but expect a lot of activity in the transfer portal once the season concludes.
There's an expectation we could see some numbers-inflated classes across the country, given the NCAA's ruling for this year, the portal, and teams just being in need of roster revisions.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, whose team just lost at home to Kansas, noted for example that he believes his program could have up to 33 new scholarship players next year.
Expect a good many fresh faces in Columbia next season, too.
*** In the opening paragraph of this report, we referenced Garnet Trust, a game-changing local NIL mechanism that launched yesterday.
If you want to learn more about Garnet Trust, visit the website and check out the FAQ section. Or, feel free to ask me in this thread (or anywhere on GamecockCentral.com!)
A Gamecock football starter recorded an initial message exclusively for supporters that will be sent out this week.
Supporters will get access to exclusive experiences and also help fund some awesome content that will be hosted by GamecockCentral.com.
*** Hope everyone has a great week!
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