South Carolina Eyes Return to Elite Special Teams Under New Coordinator
South Carolina’s special teams have been solidly above-average throughout the Shane Beamer era, but that’s a step down from the truly elite units the program fielded in 2021 and 2022 under former coordinator Pete Lembor. Since then, three seasons under successor Joe DeCamillis produced good, but not great, results — and now DeCamillis has moved on to the NFL.
Filling that void is new special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley, previously with the Buffalo Bills and Penn State. His combination of NFL and collegiate experience, paired with Beamer’s own reputation for special teams acumen, has fueled real optimism in Columbia that the Gamecocks can reclaim their elite status in what’s often called the game’s third phase.
The kicking competition just got a notable new addition. Ethan Sanchez officially signed with South Carolina after three seasons at Old Dominion and an all-conference year at Houston, made possible by recent court decisions affecting his eligibility. After a five-practice acclimation period — which will keep him out of this week’s opener — Sanchez will join a competition already featuring Week 1 starter Max Kelley and transfer additions Upton Bellenfant and Malik Orsan, with the eventual winner expected to play a significant role for the Gamecocks this fall.
Punter Mason Love represents a more settled piece of the unit. A Freshman All-SEC performer in 2025, Love is expected to build on that breakout and continue South Carolina’s decade-long tradition of strong punting, while also handling holding duties as he did quietly and effectively last season.
The long snapper competition remains unresolved heading into the opener. South Carolina carries three scholarship snappers — returner Kyler Farrow (no collegiate experience), true freshman five-star Matthew Oh, and Western Carolina transfer Emmet Rhoades, the most experienced of the group as a former starter — along with walk-on Gunnar Yocum. Smiley offered a positive but noncommittal update on the battle, noting that all four players have done a “good job” in the competition.
In the return game, Vicari Swain remains the clear focal point after scoring three touchdowns on punt returns last season, giving South Carolina a legitimate game-changing weapon if he’s deployed there again. Should the coaching staff opt to keep Swain purely on defense, true freshman Sequel Patterson could step into that role instead. On kickoffs, Nyck Harbor and Jaquel Holman both had success last year, and with the overall talent on the roster, there’s real belief the Gamecocks could produce their first kickoff return touchdown since 2022.
Special teams coverage also features several standout contributors, even without conference-wide recognition. Maurice Brown, David Bucey, and Gerald Kilgore have consistently performed well in that phase, while this spring produced its own set of internal honors — Justin Okoronkwo won the team’s special teams player of the spring award, Keenan Britt was named top special teams newcomer, and AJ Holloway earned a most improved special teams distinction.
With that depth of talent across every phase of the kicking game, combined with Smiley’s arrival and Beamer’s continued involvement, it wouldn’t be surprising to see multiple South Carolina players land on postseason special teams award lists this season.
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