South Carolina Wideouts Bennett and Brown Still Searching for Breakout Moments in 2025
When South Carolina opened the 2025 season, wide receivers Mazeo Bennett Jr. and Jared Brown were expected to be major contributors to the Gamecocks’ offense. But three weeks in, the numbers tell a different story.
So far, the duo has combined for just six receptions and 48 yards — with neither finding the end zone. That’s a drop-off from this point a year ago, when they totaled 13 catches, 186 yards, and a touchdown across the first three games. Both even led the team in receiving yards in early SEC matchups.
Brown finally grabbed his first two receptions of the year against Vanderbilt last week, while Bennett has four catches spread between South Carolina State and Vanderbilt.
Bennett entered the season as the Gamecocks’ No. 2 returning receiver with 337 yards in 2024, while Brown wasn’t far behind with 244. Quarterback Luke Doty made clear that both remain trusted targets when they’re on the field.
“I think, (if) you want to talk to Coach (Shane) Beamer or Coach (Mike) Furrey about that, feel free,” Doty said. “For us, it doesn’t matter who’s on the field, you have to do your job. … Like Coach Beamer says, there’s competition going on at every single position.”
Both players were dealing with injuries entering the season opener against Virginia Tech, though Brown is now fully healthy. Bennett, however, landed as “questionable” on the Gamecocks’ first official injury report this week.
Head coach Shane Beamer insists injuries are not behind their slow start. Instead, he points to the sheer depth of the roster.
“And we knew going into the season that we had more playmakers, if you will, at the tight end position, the running back position and the receiver position than we’ve had here in my time as the head coach,” Beamer said. “I feel like we have more depth at all those positions, and more people that want the ball.”
That depth includes seven receivers signed last season, with freshmen Donovan Murph and Brian Rowe Jr. already making an impact. Both earned their first career starts against South Carolina State, with Murph now sitting second on the team in receiving yards (94), trailing only Nyck Harbor (165).
Beamer stressed that distribution will fluctuate week to week.
“There may be a game where Bennett catches 10 passes, there may be some where he catches none. The same goes for everyone else in the room,” he said.
The challenge, Beamer added, is keeping the offense on the field to create opportunities for all those playmakers.
“We’ve got a lot of playmakers that we want to get the ball,” Beamer said. “Mazeo is one of our best players. He’s in a wide receiver room with a lot of competition in that room.”
The fifth-year head coach also reminded his players that playing time comes down to performance, not résumé.
“The people who are going to be out there on Saturdays are those who give the team the best chance to win,” Beamer said. “It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been here, where they’re from, or their scholarship status; everyone is treated equally.”
That said, Beamer emphasized his faith in both Bennett and Brown.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence and high expectations for JB, for Mazeo, for all those receivers. And there’s only one ball to go around,” he said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing everything each week to maximize all of our playmakers and get as many touches for those guys as we can.”
Beamer hasn’t forgotten what Bennett and Brown meant in last season’s matchup against Vanderbilt, calling them “impact guys.” As leaders in the offense, he knows their time to shine will come again — it’s just a matter of opportunities.
