South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer told tight-end Maurice Brown II he "better run 22 miles per hour to the bursar's office" after practice on Sept. 10.
The reason? The sophomore tight end was becoming the third member of the Gamecocks to be put on scholarship this past month.
Brown II has played youth football since he was seven years old. As a quarterback, he led the Bowie Bulldogs to a Maryland State Championship win in 2018 before entering high school. "Moe," as his friends and teammates call him, played football for Riverdale Baptist School until transferring to C.H. Flowers High School to live out his aspirations for a chance to play college football. C.H. Flowers Head Coach Dameon Powell encouraged Brown II to switch from quarterback to tight end.
Brown II's continued development and determination with South Carolina could bolster the Gamecocks' play on game days on both sides of the ball as the season progresses further in a top-heavy, dominant Southeastern Conference.
The tight end played a vital role in last Saturday's loss against No. 16 LSU. Brown II, who has been consistently featured on special teams throughout his time as a Gamecock, leaped over three LSU players to get the block on LSU punter Peyton Todd. This would eventually set up South Carolina's offense and senior running back Raheim Sanders to punch in a 10-yard touchdown, taking a 17-0 lead over the Tigers in the second quarter.
Before the season, the sophomore showcased his run-after-the-catch ability in the Garnet and Black Spring Game. Freshman quarterback Dante Reno connected with Brown II on a 15-yard touchdown pass with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Team Garnet would prevail in the contest, blanking Team Black, 17-0.
Until then, it was uncertain whether or not the Maryland native would be an integral part of the Gamecocks' offense this season. Still, Brown II has not let his scarce snaps on the offensive side of the ball affect his play on special teams, leading the Gamecocks with 51 special teams snaps.
Brown II suited up in 11 of 12 games for the Gamecocks during his freshman season.
"I definitely had the mentality to play so I was working hard," Brown II said to the media on Aug. 13. "All my hard work paid off."
Brown II's blocked punt last Saturday showcases that hard work, his effort being complimented by ABC's Kirk Herbstreit on air during Saturday afternoon's matchup.
"I mean, that is an all-time performance right there and an effort by Brown II to be able to come up with that," Herbstreit said.
'Beamer Ball' has been the mantra since Coach Shane Beamer took the job as the Gamecocks' 36th head football coach on Dec. 6, 2020. The term stems from Coach Beamer's father, Frank Beamer, and his tenure at Virginia Tech when a team scores a non-offensive touchdown.
"Beamer Ball is an attacking style of play that you feel like no matter which unit is on the field, whether it be offense, defense or special teams, you have the ability to score," Shane Beamer said on The Millers Edge podcast back in 2023.
Brown II has had a share of opportunities ever since he arrived in Columbia, honing in on his hard work and determination even before registering his first career tackle against Texas A&M last year.
Brown II and the Gamecocks look to rebound this Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium, where South Carolina opens up as 28 point favorites hosting the Akron Zips, It will mark their second mid-major opponent of the season.