“South Carolina Emphasizes Competition and Consistency in Ongoing Kicker Battle: ‘We’re Focused on Putting the Best Guy Out There’”
The kicking game may not always be the flashiest part of football, but for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the competition brewing among their special teams unit has become a storyline that’s impossible to overlook heading into the 2025 season. With the departure of previous stalwart placekicker Mitch Jeter, who had been a consistent and trusted leg for the Gamecocks in recent years, the coaching staff now finds itself evaluating a tight, ongoing battle for the starting role. Head coach Shane Beamer and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo have been clear throughout fall camp: the job is up for grabs, and every rep, every kick, and every moment matters. The priority is simple, according to the staff—putting the “best guy out there” regardless of experience, class, or past accolades.
That mantra echoes the overarching philosophy of Beamer’s program, which has become synonymous with opportunity and accountability. While some programs may lean on veterans based on seniority alone, South Carolina has made it clear that this year’s kicker will earn the job based on performance and mental fortitude under pressure. The battle currently features a blend of youth, talent, and potential, with multiple kickers seeing reps and making cases for themselves. Whether it’s redshirt freshman Alex Herrera, sophomore Mason Love, or true freshman Will Watson, no one has yet separated from the pack, and every kick is being closely monitored in practices and scrimmages alike.
This approach has drawn praise from players and coaches, who understand the gravity of the position and how critical special teams can be in a conference like the SEC. Last season alone, the Gamecocks had three games come down to single-possession margins, and in two of those contests, the kicker played a defining role. The coaching staff’s insistence on competition has driven the intensity of practice, with the kickers embracing the pressure and treating each attempt like it could be for a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.
Coach Beamer has often leaned on his own history with special teams, dating back to his days as a coordinator himself, and it shows in the detailed way the unit is coached and assessed. Every element, from pre-kick routine to ball trajectory to post-kick composure, is graded. There’s an emphasis not just on raw leg strength, but on accuracy, consistency, and how a kicker responds when a snap is off-timed or when crowd noise is pumped through the speakers to simulate game-day atmospheres. It’s a level of scrutiny that’s making each candidate sharper, more composed, and more prepared for the inevitable pressure that will come when they are called upon in a real game setting.
One kicker who has stood out at times in camp is Herrera, who came into the program with a strong high school pedigree and has reportedly been refining his technique throughout the offseason. His ability to hit long-range kicks has been noted, but it’s his work inside 40 yards and under pressure that the coaches are especially keeping an eye on. Watson, the freshman, has also impressed with his calm demeanor and smooth mechanics, which belie his age and experience. Then there’s Love, who offers a strong leg and has the benefit of being in the program long enough to understand the expectations placed on the position.
The battle, according to Lembo, isn’t about who looks the best on one given day, but who can stack consistent performances over multiple weeks. Kickers, more than most players, are judged on their ability to be routine in high-stress situations. As Lembo puts it, “We’re not just looking for talent. We’re looking for someone we can trust.” That trust is built one kick at a time, and while practice can’t fully replicate the stakes of a Saturday night in the SEC, the staff is doing everything in their power to simulate it—complete with game clocks, pressure situations, and team-wide attention on each attempt.
It’s not lost on the players that whoever wins this job will carry a heavy burden. South Carolina’s schedule is once again one of the toughest in the country, with early non-conference challenges and a grueling SEC slate. In close games, the kicker becomes a weapon or a liability, and the Gamecocks want to ensure they fall firmly in the former category. Last year’s heartbreak against Florida, which came down to the wire, is a fresh reminder of how special teams can tilt the outcome of a season. With the margin for error so thin in the SEC, the team cannot afford instability at kicker.
The team’s commitment to finding the best player for the job also sends a message to the rest of the roster—nothing is handed out. Whether you’re a five-star recruit or a walk-on, performance is the only currency that matters. This culture of meritocracy has been credited with keeping the locker room competitive and hungry, with players at all positions pushing themselves to earn their roles.
Interestingly, the kicker battle has also brought the team closer together. Some players have even taken it upon themselves to support the kickers in practice, knowing full well how much mental strength the position demands. Veteran leaders on the team have spoken about the importance of rallying around whoever wins the job, recognizing that trust in your kicker can be the difference between victory and defeat. That internal support has helped the young specialists stay confident even when the pressure mounts.
Beamer’s focus on building a championship-caliber program includes attention to every phase of the game, and special teams—often overlooked by the outside world—are treated with the same seriousness as offense or defense. The program’s emphasis on field position, kick coverage, and game-winning kicks is part of what has made South Carolina a tough opponent even against top-ranked SEC teams.
Off the field, the staff is also working to ensure that whoever earns the role is mentally equipped for the spotlight. Sports psychologists and mental performance coaches are part of the program’s support system, helping kickers manage stress, develop routines, and build the resilience needed to block out noise—both literal and metaphorical. In a sport where the mental side of performance is often just as important as the physical, this holistic approach could be what ultimately separates one contender from the others.
Still, Beamer has refused to set a public timeline for naming a starter. He’s been adamant that the competition will run its course and that the decision will be made only when the staff feels they’ve seen enough consistency, leadership, and poise from one candidate. That could mean a starter isn’t announced until the week of the season opener, or possibly even beyond that if the competition remains tight.
The uncertainty doesn’t bother the players, who understand the stakes and embrace the challenge. As one of the kickers said after a recent scrimmage, “Pressure is a privilege. We signed up for this. If you don’t want the ball with the game on the line, you’re in the wrong position.”
Fans, too, have begun to take note of the battle, with message boards, social media threads, and preseason discussions filled with speculation about who will emerge victorious. It’s rare for a kicker competition to garner this much attention, but in South Carolina, where football is part of the state’s DNA, every roster spot is scrutinized, and every storyline matters.
Ultimately, the goal is not just to find a starter, but to find a long-term solution. The Gamecocks would love nothing more than to see one of these young kickers seize the job and grow into a reliable weapon for years to come. In the SEC, where every edge counts, a dependable kicker can be a game-changer, not just a footnote.
As fall camp marches on, the Gamecocks continue their evaluations, driven by one simple but powerful belief: put the best guy out there. It’s a message that resonates from the coaching staff to the locker room, and it’s shaping not only the kicker competition but the identity of the program itself. In a sport where inches make champions and mistakes can be magnified under the lights, South Carolina isn’t leaving anything to chance. Whoever earns the role will have done so through grit, precision, and relentless consistency—and when the game is on the line, the team will trust him to deliver.
