How the culture of South Carolina has impacted recruiting

Shane Beamer in Florence for Welcome Home Tour event – Mon. 5/6/24

The connections made through culture at South Carolina is something that is unquestionable. Head coach Shane Beamer has recognized that some recruits come as a package deal after seeing the program he has built.

For instance, sophomore defensive back Jalon Kilgore joined the Gamecocks as a true freshman in 2023. After being named first-team Freshman All-American by ESPN.com and 247Sports, South Carolina caught the attention of his older brother, Gerald.

Gerald transferred to South Carolina after spending two season at Tennessee Tech. There is no doubt that the impact being a Gamecock had on his brother and his family influenced Gerald’s decision.

“I mean, you look at high school prospects that we’ve brought in, whether it be, but somebody that, the Kilgores… Jalon Kilgore comes in and has a really good first year experience with us,” Beamer said during his Welcome Home tour stop in Florence on Monday. “His brother, Gerald, because of what Jalon has told him, because of what Jalon’s parents experienced, now want Gerald to be a part of that program. Absolutely.”

[GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community]

The genuine connections and experiences made through the program are undeniable. For high school recruits, getting to talk to players who came from their hometown can drastically impact their decision.

“I hope it’s happening with the high school recruitment as well, where when LaNorris Sellers comes back here to Florence for the month of May, and he’s around the high school working out, he’s telling the other players at South Florence High School, what a great experience he’s having in Columbia, that these guys are who they say they are. They’re real, they’re genuine,” Beamer said. “They don’t give you a bunch of BS in recruiting and how much fun he’s having. So I would hope that’s happening.”

The culture at South Carolina is something many recognize. This could be said for Gilber Edmond, who left the Gamecocks to continue his career at Florida State last year. But the connections he had at South Carolina were undeniable.

Edmond left Florida State and returned to South Carolina after just one season in Tallahassee. Now, he is helping Beamer and the Gamecocks on the recruiting trail as a real life testimony of the culture.

“Hypothetically, there may be a Florida State receiver that would be joining our program,” Beamer said. “Well, Gilber Edmond told him about, here’s the experience you had in Tallahassee, good or bad, but here’s what it’s like in Columbia. He and Gilber are from the same area in Florida, so that certainly helps.”

[On3 App: Get South Carolina push notifications from GamecockCentral]

Beamer has capitalized on the connections recruits have prior to South Carolina. The Gamecocks picked up four players from Pittsburgh last season as a result of the connections players had.

“It wasn’t, hey, we’re going to get DeAndre Jules, and he’s really good buddies with Bangally Kamara, and we’re going to get them both. It really kind of just happened,” Beamer said. “But I would imagine that whoever came first on a visit, Jules told Bangally what a good experience was and things like that.”