Talking Season continued Wednesday for USC football coach Shane Beamer as he held a half-hour press conference following his annual Birdies with Beamer media golf outing at Cobblestone Park Golf Club in Blythewood. This Q&A session came six days after Beamer made the rounds in Nashville at SEC Media Days.
Beamer will do one more pre-season press conference in Columbia August 3rd before his team begins fall practice the next day. The Gamecocks will open their season in Charlotte on September 2nd against North Carolina.
Beamer said his players are ready to get on the practice field following what he believes was a very successful off-season. With the exception of projected starting left tackle Jaylen Nichols, who was injured in the spring game, Beamer said everyone who has been dealing with injury recovery is in good shape though a few will be brought along slowly at the start of practice.
Beamer added that the offensive line plans are still in the transformative stage as each lineman has cross trained at multiple positions, so the plan will be to find the top eight linemen and go from there in preparation for North Carolina.
Beamer also said he’s not opposed to a running back by committee situation. Dakereon Joyner and Juju McDowell will start camp as the top two backs with transfer Mario Anderson and freshman Dontavius Braswell expected to compete for time as well.
