South Carolina Gamecocks New Aged Opportunity vs Old Dominion

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a unique opportunity in their week one matchup against Old Dominion.

Nov 11, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer directs his team against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a unique opportunity in their week one matchup against Old Dominion.

The South Carolina Gamecocks' week one matchup may not have all of the hype around it like some of the other week one games do this weekend, but this game does posses a new aged and unique opportunity for the Gamecocks. This opportunity stems further from winning the game or even getting a good look at some of the new names for South Carolina. In fact, it has everything to do with the inverse of that.

With the transfer portal now playing a pivotal role in college football, Saturday presents an opportunity for South Carolina to scout Old Dominion's roster for future players they might want to add. Fans might scoff at the idea of taking a player from a school they are 21-point favorites over, but this is not something head coach Shane Beamer and his staff have ever shied away from.

This trend can be found in South Carolina's 2024 transfer portal class: Adaway came from North Texas, Brady Hunt came from Ball State, Gage Larvadain came from Miami (OH), Torricelli Simpkins came from North Carolina Central, and there's more that could be mentioned. These are not just depth pieces added to the roster. Those are names that are expected to be contributors for South Carolina this season. So perhaps the Gamecocks could get a head start on some of their transfer portal finds this year.

It's something new to consider when these types of opponents come up on the schedule. It's not longer just a game to get things situated, work out kinks on both sides of the ball and to get other players experience. It's an opportunity to find the next diamond in the rough and to get an advantage over some other schools when the transfer portal opens by already being familiar with a player who elects to enter the portal for new opportunities.

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