Photos provided by South Carolina
South Carolina
2024 Results: 9-4, 5-3(SEC)
2025 Projection: 9-3, 5-3
Overview:
While the Gamecocks didn’t back up their playoff gripes by losing to Illinois in the bowl game, they were in the conversation and Lanoris Sellers is an absolute beat at quarterback. They lose a lot on defense and will need to find playmakers around Sellers on offense, but Beamer has proven to do more with less during his tenure, which suggests he and his staff know how to develop talent.
Offense:
You must have a good quarterback to win in the SEC. Sellars is better than good. They have to replace a lot around him, so even the best quarterback can struggle if he doesn’t have the support he needs. Getting the line and skill players up to speed quickly will be key for Carolina’s success this year and they don’t have any time to waste with a neutral site game against Virginia Tech to open the season.
Defense:
This unit ranked 4th overall defensively in the SEC last season, but they must replace six starters from that squad in 2025. The linebacker room will be filled with new faces and that is the biggest concern for the Gamecocks on defense entering the season. Dylan Stewart returns and hopes to build on an excellent 2024 campaign, while Jalon Kilgore will anchor the secondary at the safety position.
Special Teams:
Beamer puts an emphasis on special teams, but it will be a unit full of new faces as he replaces all of the regulars from 2024. That battle has spilled over to the fall, but something tells me whoever he trots out there, they will have tricks up their sleeves.
Final Thoughts:
The Cocks will get a chance to prove themselves this season and an early win at Death Valley against LSU would certainly bolster their playoff chances. They follow that game with a four game stretch at home against Bama and Oklahoma and then on the road against Texas A&M and Ole Miss…that stretch will decide the fate of South Carolina, and if Sellers is under center you can expect them to be in all of those games.
