S.C. bans 3; freshman held on weapons charge

South Carolina freshman football player Monteque Rhames II is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on charges of carrying weapons on school property and obstructing justice.

Rhames has been suspended by coach Shane Beamer, along with fellow freshmen Anthony Rose and Cameron Upshaw, it was announced Friday.

No reasons were given for the suspensions by the university, but online records showed Rhames, an 18-year-old defensive end from Sumter, South Carolina, was booked Thursday night in Columbia on the two charges.

“Our student-athletes know what is expected of them,” Beamer said in a statement. “They know that both the university and the football program will hold them accountable for their actions and decisions.”

Rhames and Upshaw, a three-star safety from Florida, enrolled in February as part of a 2023 recruiting class that is ranked 14th by ESPN. Rose, a defensive back and former three-star prospect from Miami, redshirted the 2022 season for the Gamecocks.

South Carolina is coming off a strong second season under Beamer, finishing 8-5 after losing to Notre Dame in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

The Gamecocks are scheduled to open the 2023 season against North Carolina on Sept. 2.