When a college football program parts ways with a coach or coordinator, the ripple effects go far beyond the sidelines. There’s the immediate concern of how to manage the rest of the season, who might fill the vacancy long-term, and how to keep top talent from bolting to the transfer portal.
For South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, all of those factors were on his mind Sunday when he made the decision to fire offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Shula. But one question stood out most — how would this move impact the Gamecocks’ 2026 recruiting class?
“In regards to recruiting with us, it’s not ideal,” Beamer admitted. “But recruits that I’ve talked to on the previous change and the recruits I talked to today, they’ve been great, and they understand.”
When Beamer dismissed offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley earlier in October after the 20-10 loss to LSU, he immediately reached out to recruits. He did the same this time, calling several offensive prospects after letting Shula go.
Currently, South Carolina has six offensive commits in its 2026 class, and keeping them onboard as signing day approaches will be a challenge. The early signing period runs from Dec. 3-5, while the second period begins Feb. 4, 2026.
Given how recent coordinator hires have played out, time isn’t on USC’s side. Shula wasn’t promoted until Dec. 17, 2024, and his predecessor Dowell Loggains joined on Dec. 13, 2022. If this year follows that pattern, the Gamecocks might not have a new offensive coordinator in place before the early signing period, leaving just two months to reestablish relationships with recruits before February.
Still, Beamer said his recent conversations with prospects gave him optimism.
“The conversations that I had with the guys today, from an offensive standpoint, recruits were, pretty much verbatim, ‘We can’t wait to get there, coach,’” Beamer said.
The recruit most affected by Shula’s departure could be four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth, a top-10 QB in the 2026 class. The Jackson, Alabama native has had an up-and-down relationship with South Carolina, committing under Loggains in August 2023, decommitting in June 2024, and recommitting this past July.
Duckworth also considered Auburn and has a recent offer from LSU, both of which now have head coaching vacancies — leaving uncertainty about who might make a push for his signature.
Until a new coordinator is hired, Beamer knows his best recruiting tool is on-field proof of progress.
“They watch the games every Saturday. They know how close we are,” Beamer said. “What we’ve been telling these recruits is, ‘We’re one or two difference makers away, one or two players or plays away in every game from winning.’ And those guys can be those guys, and they see that.”
