SEC Snapshot: South Carolina Gamecocks

Spring practices have ended. The transfer portal has slowed to a crawl. We are entering Summer Radio SZN. As such, let’s get our minds right for the upcoming college football season by taking a 10,000-foot view of every SEC football team.

Once a rung on the ladder to Kentucky’s success in the SEC East, Shane Beamer and his sunglasses have been a thorn in Mark Stoops’ side. The Cats won seven of eight in this series, but South Carolina has turned the tables with three straight wins. Let’s take a closer look at what the Gamecocks are bringing back after a 9-win campaign in 2024.

SEC Snapshot: Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn

Preseason Rankings

SP+: 17
Returning Production: 71
Andy Staples: 12
ESPN: 13

Who’s the Quarterback?

It was unclear exactly what South Carolina would get out of LaNorris Sellers in his first year as a starter. The redshirt freshman clearly had playmaking chops with his legs, but could he consistently perform from the pocket behind an unproven offensive line? The answer was an emphatic yes.

Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains did an exceptional job of protecting his young playmaker. Sellers averaged 25 passing attempts and 10 carries a game. He was an efficient passer, completing 65.6% of his attempts for 2,543 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. He also added seven rushing scores. Most importantly, Sellers proved he could make winning plays in crunch time. In a Top 25 matchup against Mizzou, he led a game-winning drive in the final minute that ended with his fifth touchdown pass of the day.

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Main Storyline: South Carolina is Trying to Build on Momentum

Shane Beamer has been Mr. November since arriving in Columbia. In 2022, they closed out the regular season with enormous upsets over Tennessee and Clemson to cap off an 8-win campaign. That momentum did not materialize the following year, falling to 5-7.

The Gamecocks built up more late-season momentum in 2024, winning six straight to close out a 9-win season that ended in the Citrus Bowl. Some of the biggest players behind that success have departed. The dominant defense had five players taken in the first four rounds of this year’s NFL Draft, most notably S Nick Emmanwori and DE Kyle Kennard. Despite the departures, South Carolina still has stud EDGE Dylan Stewart and Sellers to set a solid foundation ahead of 2025.

Biggest Question: How is life without Dowell Loggains?

Of all the departures, the most significant was from the coaching ranks. Dowell Loggains had seemingly secured his meal ticket by linking up with Sellers. That’s why it was shocking when Loggains chose to accept the head coaching position at Appalachian State. It’s a great Group of Five job, but Sellers looked like the kind of quarterback that could have propelled Loggains to an even more prominent position.

Beamer promoted Mike Shula to offensive coordinator after he spent one season in Columbia as a senior offensive assistant. Shula spent most of his career in the NFL ranks, outside of a failed stint as the Alabama head coach from 03-06. Shula should maintain schematic continuity, but it feels like there is real bust potential with this hire.

South Carolina Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location
Aug 31, 2025	Virginia Tech	Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA (Neutral Site)
Sep 6, 2025	South Carolina State	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Sep 13, 2025	Vanderbilt	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Sep 20, 2025	Missouri	Faurot Field, Columbia, MO
Sep 27, 2025	Kentucky	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Oct 4, 2025	Bye Week
Oct 11, 2025	LSU	Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Oct 18, 2025	Oklahoma	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Oct 25, 2025	Alabama	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Nov 1, 2025	Ole Miss	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
Nov 8, 2025	Bye Week
Nov 15, 2025	Texas A&M	Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Nov 22, 2025	Coastal Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Nov 29, 2025	Clemson	Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

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