Ahead of the 2026 college football season, I’ll be dropping my preseason power rankings for the five major teams in the Carolina, including Clemson, Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Today the series rolls on with No. 3 South Carolina.
2025 was nothing short of a disaster for South Carolina. Entering the year with College Football Playoff aspirations, the Gamecocks face planted enroute to a 4-8 record. With a dead in the water offense and a tendency to fall apart late, most notably blowing a 27 point lead at Texas A&M, it may seem strange to rank the Gamecocks so high. However, South Carolina’s roster is filled with potential NFL talent and made a key staffing hire to bring optimism.
After just one season, offensive coordinator Mike Shula is out. Shula’s offense appeared to set quarterback LaNorris Sellers back and failed to establish much of an identity. In comes TCU’s Kendall Briles with his up tempo spread offense. With its roots originating at the high school level, Briles scheme is a welcome change by simplifying the offense after Shula’s complex pro style offense. To me, this is the most important move for the Gamecocks this entire offseason.
At quarterback, LaNorris Sellers is set to start for a third consecutive season. Sellers is a big, athletic dual threat quarterback. To me, Sellers’ super power is his ability to avoid defenders by throwing off players and juking his way through traffic. Paired with a strong arm to push the ball downfield, Sellers is an excellent fit for Briles offense. If Sellers can clean up his progressions and cut down on turnovers, there’s potential for Sellers to reemerge as a household name as he did in 2024.
Outside of offensive coordinator, the Gamecocks biggest weakness was the offensive line. Sellers was sacked 42 times last season, third most of any QB in the nation last season. While some of that comes with Sellers’ determination to create something out of broken plays, the offensive line did him no favors. South Carolina reeled in NC State’s star left tackle Jacarrius Peak, arguably the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal this offseason. While Peak suffered a knee injury in February, he is expected to return early in the season and is a critical anchor for the offensive line with NFL upside.
Outside of Peak, the rest of the offensive line is full of position battles. Five star freshman Darius Gray has the highest upside on the interior and was compared to Cleveland Browns guard Zion Johnson by 247 Sports. Shed Sarratt Jr appears to be the favorite at right tackle after seeing significant playing time as a freshman last year and showcased incredible raw strength, but will need to improve his balance. The rest of the line remains a mystery, but I’d keep an eye on UCF transfer Carter Miller at center who’s an experienced five year player with 29 career starts.
Much like the offensive line, the skill positions are filled with moving pieces with spots up for grabs. Six-foot-five receiver Nyck Harbor is slated to be the Gamecocks top target. His size and speed combination makes him lethal on vertical routes. As a former elite track athlete, Harbor clocked in an impressive high of 22.4 miles per hour last season and has gotten better every year. Given Sellers arm strength and Briles desire to push the ball downfield, I expect Harbor to be the focal point of the passing game and is a dark horse All-SEC candidate.
Outside of Harbor, it gets much more challenging to project starters. As a true freshman, Jayden Sellers, younger brother of LaNorris, emerged late with 337 yards. I believe Sellers has the upside to carve out a key role thanks to his elusive ability after the catch and chemistry with his brother at QB. Meanwhile Brady Hunt projects to be the top tight end for the Gamecocks. While Hunt has yet to break out in Columbia, he showed great potential at Ball State as a safety valve before transferring. Briles typically prioritizes tight ends and should unlock some of that potential.
The Gamecocks have a pair of unproven, but talented running backs who will battle for the starting role. Matt Fuller is a speedy player who’s spent the past two seasons developing behind older players. Meanwhile Christian Clark is a Texas transfer that’s flashed as a strong, power back in limited action with the Longhorns. If at least one of the two backs can emerge as an average SEC running back, the Gamecocks run game should take a step forward.
Defensively, the Gamecocks have less questions. Defensive coordinator Clayton White returns for year 6 in Columbia and has proven to be one of the best staff hires head coach Shane Beamer has made. Utilizing a 4-2-5 scheme, White’s defenses regularly create pressure and turnovers. While turnovers can be volatile, I expect it to continue given White’s track record.
The most talented player on the Gamecocks is Dylan Stewart, a monster off the edge, who has the upside to be a top ten selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. With 11 sacks in his first two seasons, Stewart is already used to taking on double teams. His impressive speed off the edge will draw the attention of offensive lines and open things up for the rest of the defense. Additionally, Stewart is a hard hitter with six career forced fumbles and plays to White’s strength of forcing turnovers.
Opposite of Stewart, I expect true freshman Julian Walker and Tennessee transfer Caleb Herring to both contribute on a rotational basis. Both have the size and athletic tools to be effective in the SEC, despite a lack of experience. Herring did enjoy a career best four sacks last season at Tennessee and may have the edge early in the battle. On the interior, it appears murky who will start, but it’s a critical spot for South Carolina in run defense.
South Carolina’s linebackers are one of the biggest wildcards on the team. Justin Okoronkwo is a freak athlete who was inconsistent last season. However, when he’s at his best he can be a game wrecker in run defense. If he can find some consistency, he’ll be a force to deal with. Similar to Okoronkwo, Fred Johnson was a bit erratic last season but is a big, athletic force. Breaking out in last year’s opener against Virginia Tech, Johnson struggled to find that same success in SEC play, but the potential is there to be a quality starter.
While USC lost key pieces in the secondary including cornerback Brandon Cisse, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, the Gamecocks still have an abundance of talent. Cornerbacks Vicari Swain and Judge Collier return with experience at corner, while Peyton Williams will start for a second season at safety. The Gamecocks also found SEC experience in the transfer portal, securing Kentucky’s Quay’Sheed Scott who can play in the nickel.
A lot has to go right for South Carolina’s offense to bounce back, but the pieces are there to succeed. If the defense remains a strength and Briles unlocks Sellers full potential, the Gamecocks are a dangerous team that could win eight plus games. However, the SEC schedule will be merciless if things go south. However, I think it’s most likely that Beamer makes it work and builds some momentum heading into 2027.