COLUMBIA, S.C. — After an All-America season where he helped Newberry College win a second consecutive SAC title, Mario Anderson is making a rare move from the Division II ranks to the Power 5.
The Summerville grad recently went into the transfer portal and then last week, Anderson visited South Carolina for Gator Bowl practice and that was followed by an offer from the Gamecocks. Anderson officially signed with Carolina this week, officially closing the book on his career in the South Atlantic Conference.
South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer has seen Anderson's exploits through local news reports and once Anderson became a free agent, Beamer was intrigued by the notion that Super Mario could make the transition to USC.
But just to make sure Anderson could cut it, Beamer showed game tape to defensive coordinator Clayton White and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo. Both men signed off on the offer and now Anderson will look to work his way into the running back rotation for 2023.