Jaheim Bell "Embracing" Running Back Role

Through a confluence of factors, tight end Jaheim Bell took his new responsibilities in stride against Vanderbilt.

The criticism of South Carolina's offense was deafening in the days after the Gamecocks lost to the Missouri Tigers. 

There were many reasons behind the fanbase's disapproval of the performance, but one of if not the main reasons why fans were perplexed at the same time was because one of South Carolina's most talented players, tight end Jaheim Bell, rarely touched the football.

Combine that with the fact that star running back MarShawn Lloyd missed a large portion of the game due to injury and the litany of questions that went towards the apparent misuse of Bell. 

So this past weekend, the coaching staff set out to change this narrative surrounding Bell's usage, deciding to give him a bevy of snaps at running back. Bell's commitment leading into the matchup against Vanderbilt helped spur a solid all-around performance, considering the circumstances.

"I mean Jaheim [Bell] was a running back all week this week for us, and rarely took a few reps at tight end... Like he worked really, really hard. That's not easy to go from being a tight end to all of the sudden you're a running back and the reads and protections and all that stuff. I mean, he really grinded this week as well to perform like he did tonight."

Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield echoed these sentiments at his Wednesday press conference and said Bell's athleticism and frame remind him of some excellent SEC running backs from back in the day.

"I think that he's an exceptional athlete who's really, really good. It's like going back in time; he ran a couple of those routes, and I [was] an SEC fan growing up, so I just remember Bo Jackson, all those big running backs at Auburn and Georgia. That's what he looks like. He looks like a 1985 SEC running back."

Whether Bell would continue to see snaps at running back no matter the situation present, Beamer is leaving that door of possibility open. However, he was simultaneously somewhat noncommittal when I inquired about this on his Sunday night teleconference call.

"I think he certainly looked very natural at running back [against Vanderbilt]... we wanna continue to try and get our best guys out there and find ways to get them the ball… and certainly I would imagine that would mean that you'd see Jaheim do a lot of that stuff."

You Might Also Like:

• The Anthony Richardson Notebook
• Beamer Updates Injury Report
• Game Prep: Florida's Offense Powered By Run Game

Join the community:

Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @GamecocksDigest & follow us on Twitter at @GamecocksDigest.