First-year Penn State assistant Stan Drayton will be at South Carolina in 2026. That creates an obvious question: Will he be with the Lions for the Pinstripe Bowl? The Gamecocks introduced their new assistant head coach for offense and running backs coach on Friday in Columbia. During a news conference, Drayton was asked and answered the very question posed above. And he will be part of interim head coach Terry Smith's staff for the rest of the 2025 season.
"I've been through a lot with that program as well," Drayton said. "We had a tough go. Been through a lot together. I'm going to stick with those guys. I feel like I need to finish what I started. I promised I was going to go to the end with those guys. Let's go beat Clemson."
Added Drayton on why he's joining the Gamecocks:
"I believe in [South Carolina head coach] Shane [Beamer], I know how he's cut, know how passionate he is about South Carolina, and that's what I need to be around. That's what drives me in this game. People who lock elbows, and get aligned, and attack challenges. I'm excited about that opportunity."
While Drayton is staying until after the Pinstripe Bowl, this list is getting longer seemingly by the day. As of Friday morning, it includes the following:
Co-offensive coordinator Ty Howle - Will be the OC at Virginia Tech.
Quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien
Assistant Athletics Director for Football Performance Enhancement Chuck Losey
Special teams analyst Matt Colangelo
Assistant tight ends coach David Rocco
Chief of Staff Kevin Threlkel
General Manager of Personnel and Recruitment Andy Frank
Assistant Director of Player Relations Brett Arnold
Recruiting Coordinator for Personnel Chris Mahon
Assistant Recruiting Coordinator for Personnel Rashad Elby
Aeneas Hawkins, Assistant Director of Player Advancement & Revenue Sharing Strategy
Director of Recruiting Content Caleb Tyler
Director of External Operations Tristin Iannone
Assistant Recruiting Coordinator for Operations and Visits Karsyn Kehler
Director of Internal Operations & Head Coach Logistics Heidi Erb