Joe DeCamillis feels 'really good' about South Carolina replacing starters on special teams in 2025
Things are going to look much different on special teams at South Carolina next season. At least from a personnel standpoint.
The Gamecocks will be replacing their starting punter, kicker and long snapper. Kai Kroeger, Alex Herrera, and Hunter Rogers are all out of eligibility. It may seem like a tall order, especially with Kroeger and Rogers having been longtime starters. But the team may have already found their replacements for the future.
South Carolina signed Max Kelley, a three-star kicker, and Kyler Farrow, a three-star long snapper, as part of its 2025 recruiting class. There’s still some time to go before spring practice begins, let alone fall camp in August, but it’s possible Kelley and Farrow could start at their respective positions with those open spots.
“As a kicker, obviously we’ve got to replace Alex, but we signed a kid coming in,” special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said last month. “… There’s a lot of things that are up in the air. (Long) snapper I think is real good, too. We got a good kid coming in.”
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While the team addressed many of their needs in the latest transfer portal cycle, special teams was one of the few areas to not bring in a transfer from another school. Of course, that could change when the spring portal window opens in mid-April.
As for who takes over for Kroeger, it seems Mason Love will be the heavy favorite to be his successor. Love, who served as the backup punter and placekicker as a true freshman in 2024, will be one of the lone returnees for 2025 and beyond.
“I mean, Mason, luckily, was here the whole year. He was in every warmup, all that kind of stuff. So, I feel really good about him as a punter,” DeCamillis said.
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Love, a three-star punter in South Carolina’s 2024 signing class, handled both punting and kicking duties when he was at Park Hill South High School (MO). He averaged 44 yards per punt and connected on 16-of-20 field goals and 17-of-18 extra points as a senior. Even with his background, Love’s focus has mostly been on punting since he arrived at South Carolina.
“That’s really what he’s done from the word go,” he said. “That’s kind of where we spoon fed him and got him to, and that’s where we think he’s going to do best.”
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Love will be able to redshirt and still have four years of eligibility remaining going into 2025. He didn’t see any action last season, only dressing out for games and getting most of his reps in practice. But DeCamillis feels good about what Love can do going forward.
“I mean, I think he’s done real well,” DeCamillis said. “I think when you watch him in warmups before the game, he’s done a great job. Hopefully that’ll translate into next year. I’m very, very positive with where he’s at.”
