South Carolina Fires Marquel Blackwell as the RB Coach, Creating Four Open Spots on the Offensive Staff

South Carolina running backs coach Marquel Blackwell is out in Columbia as of Thursday morning. Blackwell is the latest offensive coach to be fired so far this season for the Gamecocks. His departure makes four openings for head coach Shane Beamer to fill prior to next season.

After two seasons with the Gamecocks, Marquel Blackwell will not be back with the team next season. The running game was a major let down for the offense in 2025, that was coming off a great 2024 season. The numbers dropped off significantly in 2025 with yards per game 111.08 in 2025 as compared to 184.4 yards in 2024, average yards per carry 3.24 in 2025 as compared to 4.4 in 2024, and touchdowns 1.2 in 2025 as compared to 2 per game in 2024, all down this season.

What Happened?

Nov 29, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Rahsul Faison (1) rushes against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Blackwell had a star tailback in 2024 with Raheim Sanders, who helped lead a top five rushing attack in the conference. However this season the Gamecocks rank in the bottom five of the SEC in nearly every rushing category. Part of the problem could stem from a running back rotation that never seemed settle as Rahsul Faison, Matthew Fuller, Jawarn Howell, and Oscar Adaway III all received carries at different points in the season.

Offensive line issues played a role in this drop off, but it's clear Beamer believes a new voice in the room is needed. Blackwell has not signed a high school running back recruit in each of the past two recruiting cycles, forcing South Carolina to hit the transfer portal. Something Beamer mentioned in his Early Signing Day press conference saying the Gamecocks will not sign a running back in the 2026 class, despite being involved with a few in the last two cycles.

This now leaves four openings on the offensive coaching staff. Beamer will have to hire an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach, and an offensive line coach. It is popular for the offensive coordinator to also pull double-duty as the quarterbacks coach, so Beamer may only have to hire three coaches depending on how he wants to handle it. However, the time is now to not only make the right hire, but actually make the hire as players both on and off the roster will want to know who will be leading the offense and their rooms respectively going forward.

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