Shane Beamer gives latest on left tackle

South Carolina likely didn’t want to enter preseason camp looking to solve its left tackle position but that’s where the Gamecocks are after returning starter Jaylen Nichols suffered a significant knee injury in the Garnet and Black spring game.

Gamecock football coach Shane Beamer, speaking at SEC Media Days this past week, spoke about the versatility among his offensive linemen but once again did not get into specifics about what the left tackle battle might look like.

“One good thing that we’ve done is just being able to work guys at multiple positions throughout spring practice as well and have some position flexibility at center, guard, and tackle,” Beamer said Thursday. “So you know we’ll see as we go. We’ll work some different guys there, we’ll see what happens but certainly that’s a concern as we start the season. But we’ve got guys that have some experience and we’ve got some guys that certainly are comfortable out there at the tackle position.”

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Jakai Moore, who played left guard both in the spring and at the end of last season, seems like the most likely first option. South Carolina’s media guide suggests as much, saying he “figures to get a long look at tackle.”

While Moore appeared to have found a home at guard, he does have 12 career starts at left tackle while making appearances there in multiple other games.

Transfer offensive tackle Sidney Fugar went through spring practice as Nichols’ backup at left tackle, though the former Western Illinois starter has no experience at the SEC level. He will certainly get a chance but Carolina will likely want a full competition at the position rather than for Fugar to just slide into the first-string spot.

One intriguing option is freshman early enrollee Markee Anderson, who started off camp as a guard but did cross-train at tackle during the spring and played left tackle in the spring game.

Anderson’s long-term future may be on the interior, but he is a great athlete and is in excellent shape with Beamer saying during the offseason that he will definitely play this season. The exact role is to be determined.

Charlotte transfer portal offensive tackle addition Jaxon Hughes was also a resourceful, walk-on pickup and could provide depth.

The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Greensboro, N.C. native started each of the last two seasons for Charlotte at left tackle, including when the 49ers played the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium last year.

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The Gamecocks will also add to their overall offensive tackle depth with the return of redshirt freshman Cason Henry, who missed the entire spring due to an injury.

Henry played some last year at right tackle while maintaining his redshirt and was in the conversation to start there in the bowl game before Tyshawn Wannamaker, who was the first-team right tackle this spring, won the position.

Henry could compete for a starting spot at right tackle during the preseason.

Nichols went down in the first half of South Carolina’s spring game in mid-April and did not return to the contest with what Beamer at the time called a lower-body injury.

The Gamecocks’ projected starting left tackle in 2023, the fifth-year Super Senior appeared in 38 games over the past four campaigns including 18 starts.

A versatile blocker, Nichols has started at left guard, right tackle and left tackle in his career.

Last season, Nichols appeared in 12 games, making seven starts, all at left tackle.

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