The House v. NCAA settlement is set to usher in major changes to college football, and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer is already facing tough decisions as he prepares to reduce his roster to meet the new limits.
Shane Beamer Faces Difficult Conversations With Players Facing Cuts
The agreement includes a new cap of 105 players per roster. Once a player departs, they are not eligible to return until the following season. Beamer appeared on Josh Pate’s show recently, where he spoke candidly about the challenge of trimming his roster before the 2025 campaign.
“The end of April is the deadline for us to have the roster set,” Beamer said. “Just to be frank, it sucks, and those are going to be hard conversations.”
Beamer added that he intentionally held off on adding more players during the spring, knowing it would only lead to more difficult cuts. “If we brought somebody into our program as a walk-on or on scholarship, it’s because we truly believe that he can help us on the field,” he said.
South Carolina ended the 2024 season with 118 players—13 over the new limit. That number must be reduced to 105 before the Gamecocks open the season against Virginia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The spring transfer portal opens April 16 and runs through April 25, offering a brief window for programs to make final additions. However, it leaves little time for players cut from rosters to find a new team, especially with the logistics of relocating.
Another unresolved issue is how, or if, those cut players will be compensated—raising questions about fairness and transition support.
How Will the Gamecocks Fare in 2025?
South Carolina finished the 2024 season at 9-4, narrowly missing a College Football Playoff berth. Beamer hopes to push further in 2025, and the return of quarterback LaNorris Sellers provides a solid foundation.
Sellers enters his sophomore season after reportedly throwing for 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024.
While several SEC rivals are still searching for answers at quarterback, the Gamecocks have their leader in place. Wide receivers Nyck Harbor and Mazeo Bennett Jr. return as reliable weapons, giving the offense continuity.
Defensively, South Carolina faces a rebuild. Of the 14 players who declared for the NFL Draft, 10 came from the defensive side, prompting the staff to reload through high school recruiting and the transfer portal. Expect some growing pains early in the season.
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With an abundance of talent in Columbia, trimming the roster won’t be easy—but if Beamer navigates it well, the playoffs could be within reach.
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