New faces are here to take over the reins of the Gamecock football team’s offense.

During last week’s SEC media day in Dallas, Texas, head coach Shane Beamer and players spoke to the media to address some of the questions surrounding this group.

“We’ve got to replace a lot of production, losing Spencer Rattler, our quarterback, and Xavier Leguette at wide receiver as well,” Beamer said. “New freshmen and transfers have come in that will make us better, along with four new coaches.”’

Beamer highlighted the new offensive coaching hires and hopes their background will help get the new guys up to speed. Coaches such as new tight end coach Shawn Elliot, wide receivers coach Mike Furrey, running back coach Marquel Blackwell and senior analyst Mike Shula bring years of experience that will help speed the younger players’ transition to SEC play.

While the team will have to replace much of its offensive production from last season, there is some consistency in play calling as Dowell Loggains enters his second season as the school’s offensive coordinator.

There is also a lot of consistency returning on the offensive line. A youthful group from 2023 will return in 2024, looking to take a step up and overcome struggles the position faced in recent years.

“We started three true freshmen on our offense last year, two on the offensive line,” Beamer said. “Went through some struggles because of it, but we will be better for it going forward as well. We’re young, we’re talented, we’re hungry as an offense, and the key is going to be how quickly we can come together.”

Vershon Lee, Jakai Moore, Trovon Baugh and Tree Babalade are all returning players who started at least one game on the line last season. That consistency will make it easier for the new expected starters to get acclimated. Guys like quarterback LaNorris Sellers and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders will benefit from the line’s experience.

Other new offensive weapons from the portal or high school include running backs Oscar Adaway III and Jawarn Howell, receivers Jared Brown and Gage Larvadain and quarterback Robby Ashford.

“I think we’ve got playmakers pretty much everywhere you look on the field. At wide receiver. At tight end, running back, quarterback,” said veteran quarterback Luke Doty. “You talk about the strides made this offseason and this past spring ball. I just can’t say enough good things.”

Last season, the Gamecocks’ offense ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in yards per game. They were a bottom-three scoring team and struggled to rush the ball, finishing dead last in the SEC in run offense.

“There’s no question we have to run the ball better and protect the quarterback better than what we did last season,” Beamer said.

Beamer said Sanders will help boost the team’s run game, calling him one of the best running backs in the SEC from the 2022 season. Sanders ran for over 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 at Arkansas before missing nearly half of the team’s 2023 season.

“I think a lot of people have forgotten how talented a running back Rocket Sanders is and the season that he had in 2022,” Beamer said. “He will make our run game better along with the other running backs that we’ve brought in. But he’s done a great job.”

Sanders arrived on campus in January and has been working to get healthy and back in game shape. Beamer said he was impressed with his dedication and has seen the results of his work.

“He’s shaved 6% of body fat off of his body since February. He’s lost a considerable amount of weight. He stayed in Columbia the whole month of May when most of the team had left outside of our offensive line,” Beamer said. “He’s in great, ideal shape.”

While Sanders is expected to take the starting running back spot, Sellers is expected to be the leading guy at quarterback. Sellers, a sophomore, will have to replace the production of Spencer Rattler, who was one of the league’s best quarterbacks last season.

Rattler was selected in this year’s NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints after leading the Gamecocks to the fourth-best passing offense in 2023. Sellers, while not officially announced as the starter, is coming along and showed flashes of what could be in limited playing time last season.

“We certainly are going to look different at the quarterback position with LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford,” Beamer said. “You’re talking about guys that are 240-pound type guys that can run and are able to throw. So it brings a new dimension to our offense. Those guys have made each other better.”

The Gamecocks still have a few weeks to finalize their starting group. The offense will spend the first few weeks of the season plugging and playing as well to determine which groups fit together the best. South Carolina’s first game of the season is scheduled for Aug. 31 at home against Old Dominion at 4:15 p.m.