COLUMBIA — South Carolina football has seen 16 players enter the transfer portal in two days, so the Gamecocks will have plenty of holes to fill for 2024.

The Gamecocks (5-7, 3-5 SEC) missed a bowl game this year for the first time under coach Shane Beamer, though the team is set to bring in the No. 19 recruiting class in the country with the early signing period two weeks away. The portal officially opened Monday and closes Jan. 2. It will open again from April 16-30.

From building experience to stabilizing the trenches, here are the position groups South Carolina needs to target in the transfer portal this offseason:

Running back

Players to watch: Donald Chaney Jr., Miami; Simeon Price, Mississippi State; Rocket Sanders, Arkansas

With top RB Mario Anderson set to enter the transfer portal, the Gamecocks cannot do another year of the dangerously thin room they fielded in 2023. Freshman Djay Braswell showed flashes, but it was difficult to get a sense of his ability with just 12 carries in five games. DJ Twitty and Bradley Dunn barely played even with Anderson banged up at the end of the year, so it feels safe to say the staff doesn't have much confidence in the other in-house options.

A star rusher would be huge — for example, if Dowell Loggains can pull Sanders from his time with the Razorbacks — but South Carolina needs bodies in the building more than anything. The team has only one incoming running back with the 2024 recruiting class, so the portal is the only option to build depth.

Defensive end

Players to watch: Khordae Syndor, Purdue; Joey Slackman, Penn; RJ Oben, Duke

The Gamecocks are solid on the interior defensive line with Tonka Hemingway, Alex Huntley and T.J. Sanders set to return in 2024, but there are far fewer options at the edge. Jordan Strachan, who is out of eligibility, was South Carolina's leading edge rusher in 2023 with seven tackles for loss and four sacks, and the team finished with an SEC-worst 21 sacks. The Gamecocks' pass rush was the only unit in the conference to record fewer than 140 sack yards.

Five-star 2024 commitment Dylan Stewart has the potential to contribute immediately as a freshman, but it would benefit the team greatly to have a veteran presence balancing him.

Wide receiver

Players to watch: Jayden McGowan, Vanderbilt; Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt; Cyrus Allen, Louisiana Tech

With Antwane Wells Jr. in the transfer portal, the Gamecocks will have zero returning starters at wide receiver next season. Xavier Legette and Ahmarean Brown are out of eligibility, and top backup O'Mega Blake also entered the portal after 250 receiving yards in four starts in 2023. Nyck Harbor and Tyshawn Russell are promising but still a work in progress, especially starting over with a new quarterback next season.

A go-to pass catcher will set the first-year QB up for success and gives the offense a reliable option with the instability at running back. The Gamecocks may also look to add receiving depth at tight end with Trey Knox graduating: Harvard tight end Tyler Neville is scheduled to take a visit this weekend.

TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER: South Carolina football transfer portal tracker: Who's leaving, joining the Gamecocks

Offensive line

Players to watch: Gerquan Scott, Southern Miss; Kevin Wingeton II, Michigan State

Elite linemen are tough to find in the portal, but the Gamecocks didn't get much benefit out of their mid-major transfers in 2023. Western Illinois Sidney Fugar was benched after starting four games, and Charlotte transfer Jaxon Hughes appeared in just two games amid injury issues. Yale transfer Nick Gargiulo was the most successful addition starting all 12 games, but the offensive line as a whole still gave up nearly 300 yards on 41 sacks.

South Carolina has three offensive line commitments in the Class of 2024, headlined by No. 57 prospect Josiah Thompson. However, pushing Tree Babalade and Trovon Baugh into starting as freshmen didn't yield strong results, so creating flexibility for potential stars to fully develop first would be ideal.

Follow South Carolina football reporter Emily Adams on X @eaadams6 and subscribe to The Greenville News for exclusive Gamecocks content: https://subscribe.greenvilleonline.com/offers.

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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football roster 2024: Shane Beamer focus for portal