SEC Network's Chris Doering: My mind was completely changed about South Carolina

SEC Network analyst and former Florida standout wide receiver Chris Doering was recently in Columbia for an up-close look at the South Carolina football team as the Gamecocks work through their preseason camp.

Doering, who made an appearance this week on the Locked on Gamecocks podcast to talk about his stop in Columbia, first lamented some of the many changes that have come to the college game.

Due to the roster churn created by the transfer portal, the lack of televised spring games (or spring games at all in some cases), and an overall lack of access, analysts in Doering’s position have less of a feel than ever about the teams they’re about to cover in the season.

Without as much background as usual already in place, his stop in Columbia was an eye-opening experience about the South Carolina roster.

“Not having the opportunity to go around and do the spring tours that we used to,” Doering told host Chris Marler. “Like typically, I’m on campus for two or three different springs. We’re talking to coaches and watching practices and seeing some of the games. That wasn’t the case this year. So getting down to Columbia, like, my mind was completely changed about the way that I thought about South Carolina after getting to see it in person.”

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A big reason for Doering’s shift in expectations for South Carolina? A much better feel for the talent at the wide receiver position.

In addition to being high on rising sophomore Mazeo Bennett, the SEC legend was impressed with the progress of junior Nyck Harbor.

“I love the fact that he committed to football this season and stepped away from track to kind of focus on learning the nuances of the position,” said Doering, who reiterated that it’s hard to just plug an athlete into the position and expect them to quickly excel. “I’ll tell you what, getting a chance to stand next to him, he is an impressive figure.

“You know, from a guy that is kind of chiseled out of stone to play the position, he looks the part. And watching him, watching his ball skills, watching the way he catches the football, you can definitely tell he’s put some time into it. He doesn’t fight it. He’s relaxed, he’s confident with his hands, and I think that’s obviously a big part of playing the receiver position.”

And then there’s the true freshmen.

As most GamecockCentral readers know, the Gamecocks signed, on paper, one of the best receiver classes in program history with six total high school additions.

Doering, who admitted he didn’t initially realize how many talented young receivers Carolina had added to the roster, highlighted two that GamecockCentral has also heard plenty of buzz about.

“Two guys kind of stood out as you’re watching and as folks talked about them,” Doering said. “Donovan Murph being one of them, another guy that’s from right outside Columbia. And then looking at Brian Rowe, those two guys, he’s more of a slight frame guy. Kept hearing people talk about comparing him to DeVonta Smith and the way that his build is and how smooth he is with his route running. That’s obviously high praise with what he was able to do. I mean, breaking that SEC career touchdown reception record. You had to be awesome to be able to do that.

“But, you know, I think, that it’s a very deep group of guys, freshman wise. But I think those two guys were the ones that I kind of noticed and kept hearing more about and talking with some people around the program.”

Doering added that he thought it could potentially be another eight- or nine-win season for South Carolina, noting the difficulty of the schedule, and added that he thought nine wins should be good enough to make the playoff this year.

He mentioned six wins as a floor that he didn’t see the team going below.

The Gamecocks kick off their 2025 slate in just over two weeks on Aug. 31 against Virginia Tech in Atlanta.

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