South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer defended his team Monday at the 2024 SEC Media Days at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

"I really, really, really like our football team, and I know most of you don't," Beamer said during his appearance on stage.

That followed up his initial comments to local media where he discussed the expectations ahead of the 2024 season.

"We're going to be picked low whenever we have our preseason projections ... which is fine, I get it ... it's easy to look and say well they struggled last year," Beamer said.

The Gamecocks finished 5-7 in 2023. Losing Spencer Rattler, the starting quarterback for the last two years, leaves a massive hole in the offense and Beamer said it's easy to look at a team that struggled with stars last year and assume it's bound to fail again.

"I think that's a very lazy way of thinking, in my opinion" Beamer said. "Nobody talks about the players that we do return and the experience that we have but it is what it is is, we worry about what we can control ... we know what kind of team we have."

Expectations for South Carolina football in 2024, Nick Saban weighs in

Beamer enters his fourth year coaching the Gamecocks, coming off his worst year since taking over the program in 2021.

With the additions of Oklahoma and Texas in the SEC, along with the retirement of longtime Alabama coach Nick Saban there were questions about expectations, legacy and long-term goals.

"There is no ceiling at the University of South Carolina, our expectations are to compete for a (championship)," Beamer said.

Saban, who is at his first SEC Media Day without coaching responsibilities, supported Beamer's mentality that the Gamecocks may be able to accomplish a lot with the roster they have in 2024.

"They're really not that far off," Saban said. "They lost a couple of really close games (in 2023) that could have made a huge difference and they had a ton of injuries. They will have a new quarterback but (LaNorris Sellers) is a talented guy and they have more depth in the offensive line than they've had in the past and they do have a lot of experience back on defense."

Why Shane Beamer needs the 2022 Rocket Sanders in South Carolina's offense

Beamer provided an update on Arkansas transfer running back Rocket Sanders, who has been dealing with injuries, playing only six games for the Razorbacks in 2023.

The Gamecocks lost their go-to running back from 2023, Mario Anderson, who has transferred to Memphis, so Sanders is the No. 1 option.

Despite missing the spring game and a lot of spring practice with injury rehab, Sanders is being counted on to be a big part of the South Carolina offense.

"One of our strength coaches the other day said what we've done with (Sanders) is rocket science," Beamer said. "Sanders is starving and very hungry to get back to the (player) he was in 2022."

In 2022, he rushed for 1,443 yards on 222 carries and ran in 10 touchdowns, in addition to 28 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Beamer said that Sanders is in better shape than he was when he arrived at South Carolina.

"He's all about business, that's what I've seen from him since the moment he stepped on campus," Luke Doty, a redshirt senior for the Gamecocks said. "He does everything the right way."

"He's done an amazing job," Beamer said.

MORE FROM MEDIA DAY: Shane Beamer, South Carolina football live updates for 2024 SEC Media Days

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Shane Beamer defends South Carolina football expectations in 2024