Shane Beamer Breaks Silence on Ethan Sanchez’s Eligibility Bid Looks Unlikely
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said Tuesday that the chances of transfer kicker Ethan Sanchez getting an extra year of eligibility look slim, though he made clear Sanchez remains a valued part of the team.
Where the eligibility fight stands
Sanchez, a fifth-year kicker, joined the roster just days before the 2026 season began. He has not played a snap for the Gamecocks, because his extra year of eligibility has not been officially granted.
Beamer was blunt about the outlook. He said he doesn’t know where this will end up, and that “It doesn’t seem likely at this point.” Sanchez’s agent and lawyers are still searching for a way to make him eligible, Beamer said, but the coach’s conversations with his superiors and the compliance staff left him with the impression that the odds are low.
The eligibility background
- Sanchez played three seasons at Old Dominion, then the 2025 season at Houston.
- Under the NCAA’s old eligibility rules, he has used up his time.
- This summer, the NCAA introduced a new model granting five seasons of eligibility.
- Sanchez is among several athletes who have filed lawsuits seeking one more year of college football.
So the issue rests on whether the new framework, or a court, will extend him an additional season. As of Tuesday, neither had.
Not being pushed out
Beamer stressed that an eligibility ruling against Sanchez wouldn’t mean the end of his time in Columbia. Sanchez is still kicking in practice and, in Beamer’s description, has been a real asset in the locker room.
Beamer said he told Sanchez directly that he shouldn’t think the program is trying to run him off if things fall through. He called Sanchez a great teammate who has helped the other specialists improve, and said he’s brought maturity to the team.
Why it hasn’t hurt on the field
Sanchez’s absence has not been a problem, because the kicking game has gone well without him:
- Sophomore Malik Orsan, a transfer from FCS Southeast Missouri State, took over the starting job in Week 3.
- Since then, he is 14-for-14 on extra points and 7-for-8 on field goals.
- Two of those makes came from 50 yards or longer.
With Orsan producing at that level, the lack of a ruling on Sanchez has carried little cost for the Gamecocks.
The door isn’t fully closed
Despite the grim outlook, Beamer left the situation open. He said Sanchez is still out there kicking, and that the team will see where it leads.
What it means
- The legal route is the only real path. Sanchez’s hopes depend on lawsuits and any appeals, not on anything South Carolina can do.
- The Gamecocks have a fallback that’s working. Orsan’s numbers mean the team isn’t desperate for a change.
- Sanchez’s value goes beyond the field. Beamer’s praise suggests the staff wants him around either way, as a mentor to the other specialists.
- Timing matters. The longer the eligibility question drags on, the less useful a late ruling becomes this season.
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