In Columbia, it was a natural occurrence for Davis Beville to awaken on a Saturday morning and prepare to watch Clemson play football. Having grown up in Greenville, just about 55 minutes away from Memorial Stadium, his room was adorned with Clemson memorabilia. His father, Scott Beville, had served as a long snapper for Clemson from 1988 to 1990, and his Clemson jersey was even framed in Davis' room. Despite being constantly surrounded by people connected to Clemson during his upbringing, Davis emphasized that his father "never forced any feelings onto me."Deep Ties to Clemson and a New Path
Davis Beville holds deep connections to Clemson. It is the place where his parents met and the colors he once wore. Now, he dons black and garnet as the third-string quarterback for South Carolina football. "Growing up, I was on the other side of it, but now I feel good with where I'm at," Davis stated.This year marks the 121st matchup between South Carolina and Clemson. The Gamecocks (8-3) are set to face Clemson (9-2) in the Palmetto Bowl on Saturday at noon on ESPN.Scott Beville had a clear path to follow when his son joined South Carolina. His father, Steve Beville, had played defensive end at Florida State, a Tigers' rival. "I always kind of chuckle about it because when Clemson played Florida State, he wore orange," Scott said. "As he put it, 'support family first.' I'll do the same thing here." Although Davis initially revealed in August that his father might not wear the Gamecocks logo, he has been wearing garnet and black every week, coming as close as possible without actually wearing the logo. "I don't know if it's intentional or not at this point," Davis said last week. His father was asked about this before Saturday's game. "Uhhh, I'm sure I'll support the team," Scott replied with a laugh.Davis Beville's journey to South Carolina football was quite remarkable. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 200 pounds, he was attracting attention at Greenville High. According to MaxPreps, in three seasons, he completed 490 passes out of 792 for 6,759 yards and 88 touchdowns. Both South Carolina and Clemson recruited him, with the Gamecocks showing a bit more enthusiasm, as Davis recalled. The recruiting experience in general softened the rivalry in Scott Beville's eyes. "I think it meant a lot more before I started playing. I think until I started getting recruited, he had a love for it, but then he became a fan of me more than anything else," Davis said. "Once I was in the actual recruiting process and making those decisions for myself, it became neutral to both sides."Davis initially committed to Pitt and spent three seasons there as a backup. In June 2022, he transferred to Oklahoma and played behind Dillon Gabriel, who is now at Oregon and is a 2024 Heisman Trophy contender. In January, he transferred to South Carolina. In late August, coach Shane Beamer offered him a scholarship. On Nov. 23, he played in the fourth quarter along with all the seniors against Wofford, marking his final game in Columbia.If he doesn't make another appearance for South Carolina, his college career will end with 16 games, one start, 37-of-62 passing for 339 yards and one touchdown. "When we found out he had a chance to come back home, we were really excited," Scott said, with no hard feelings towards his former rival.South Carolina vs Clemson for Davis Beville's family was a significant event. On Sept. 21 against Akron in the fourth quarter, Davis threw a pass to Connor Cox for a touchdown and immediately covered his face with his hands. "Davis Beville looks like he's really emotional, all the guys hugging him," South Carolina radio voice Tommy Suggs described after the play. Davis' teammates and Beamer were closely by his side as he lifted his head with emotion and pride. In the crowd, watching was Davis Beville's grandfather, who had taught his father that family matters more than rivalry. Saturday will be no different.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.
