16-in-16 2025: South Carolina Gamecocks
After a breakout season in 2024 that nearly saw the Gamecocks make the College Football Playoff, can Beamer and Co. sustain the momentum in 2025?
By: Bossman
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It’s fair to say that the program in Columbia, South Carolina, is in the best position it’s been in since Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines. Hope abounds for Gamecocks fans, and much of that can be attributed to Shane Beamer, who continues to defy expectations seemingly every year. There were questions as to whether Beamer would be on the hot seat if the Gamecocks faltered last year, and instead, Beamer’s Gamecocks answered the bell resoundingly and have given the fanbase a major shot of confidence heading into 2025.
There are many new faces in Columbia this season, so it won’t be easy to repeat the success of 2024. But now, expectations are raised, and with an experienced QB, the Gamecocks need to deliver.
State of the Program: 8/12 biscuits. Nipping at the heels of the elite. McDonald’s did a damn good job this mornin’.
I waffled here between eight or nine biscuits. Nine would have meant the Gamecocks are darkhorses to win the SEC – and preseason they are, but to me, that would have meant the Gamecocks were one step closer to solidifying themselves in the perennial top five status in the league. We’re not quite there yet, but with another great season, the Gamecocks could earn another biscuit – or maybe even two.
As far as the overall health of the program, the Gamecocks find themselves in solid position. South Carolina’s NIL fund, Garnet Trust, was in the middle of the pack for the SEC at roughly $9.5 million, but they’ve found creative ways to punch above their weight, like front-loading payouts before the House Settlement and an action figure deal for LaNorris Sellers.
In terms of facilities, South Carolina is keeping up with the best of them over the last five years. A $350 million Phase II of a renovation project at Williams-Brice Stadium was approved in May of this year, and construction will begin after the 2025 season. This is on top of multiple upgrades that have already been made to the stadium experience over the last few years. The players' training facility, the Long Family Football Operations Center, opened in 2019 and is still state-of-the-art. Overall, South Carolina has invested over $400 million into the program in recent years, showing a strong commitment to building a sustainable winning product on the gridiron.
Shane Beamer has assembled an experienced coaching staff in Columbia, and over the course of his tenure, he’s shown that he’s willing to take a chance on coordinators who initially raise eyebrows outside the program. However, for the most part, he’s been right about his hires, including last year’s offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. The offense ranked top four in the SEC in rushing and eighth overall in the SEC under Loggains, a far cry where many expected them to finish. This year, Mike Shula takes over at offensive coordinator, a name many SEC fans will be familiar with. Clayton White has been the defensive coordinator since 2021, and has been steady in that position. Overall, Beamer has earned the benefit of the doubt with the fanbase on coordinator hires. Trust Beamer!
What went right in 2024?
Last year, Hammer gave the Gamecocks six biscuits, which meant South Carolina was stuck in neutral. The biscuits had been left out on the counter for a while, and not much was expected of the Gamecocks after losing Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette to the NFL, all while needing to break in a new QB and shore up the offensive line. They were picked to finish 13th in the SEC in the preseason by the media.
On what the Gamecocks needed for a successful 2024 season, Hammer wrote: “Two words: LaNorris Sellers. The second-year QB has to produce in 2024 if the Gamecocks want to accomplish anything.” Well, he produced, posting a 151.9 QB rating, 65% completion rate for 2,345 yards and 18 TDS to 11 picks, while rushing for 674 yards and seven TDs. Watching his tape, the kid is electric. Gamecocks fans were telling anyone who would listen that Seller’s was special before he even took a snap at USC. Now, there is no denying the talent the starting signal caller possesses, and fans across the country are aware of who LaNorris Sellers is. You also can’t discuss South Carolina’s success last season without mentioning Arkansas transfer RB Rocket Sanders, who broke off some big runs and finished the season with nearly 900 yards rushing and 11 TDs.
The South Carolina defense was also formidable, producing SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kyle Kennard, and finishing top four in total defense in the SEC and 16th overall in the country. Nick Emmanwori was a dog in the defensive backfield, and freshman DE Dylan Stewart burst onto the scene as a gamewrecker opposite of Kennard. When the offense sputtered at times, the defense picked up the slack, as evidenced by the Oklahoma game where the Cocks defense turned the Sooners over four times, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
Despite the low expectations in the preseason, Shane Beamer rallied the troops, and aside from some early-season scares, the Gamecocks significantly improved on their 2024 season. The Garnet and Black ripped off six straight wins to end the season, beating their in-state rival on the road, and narrowly missing the playoff. By the regular season’s end, they were the hottest team in America.
What went wrong in 2024?
It’s a bit of a copout to blame things on the refs, but man, it’s hard not to play the “what-if” game regarding the questionable defensive blind-side block call against South Carolina in the LSU game. If the Gamecocks seal the victory on that pick-six that was called back, and the rest of the season goes as it did, Beamer and South Carolina would have been squarely in the College Football Playoff. There were also a few calls in other games that didn’t go the Gamecocks' way, but…that’s just SEC football. The officiating has been terrible for years, so it’s nothing new.
Aside from yelling at the sky about the refs, the offensive line play continued to plague South Carolina. It was an issue in 2023, and at times it was a real issue again in 2024. You have to give credit where it’s due, and the Gamecocks O-Line helped produce nearly 2,400 yards rushing, BUT - and it’s a big but - you have to also remember that many of those yards came from LaNorris Sellers scrambling ability and improvisation skillset. He was under pressure often, and in pass protection, the boys up front struggled, allowing 3.15 sacks per game (41 on the year), which was 123rd in the country. That has to improve in 2025, especially if they want to keep Sellers healthy and take the next step.
Finally, while Sellers burst onto the scene in 2024, he struggled at times through the air. He threw for under 200 yards in five games, and if you include the LSU game, it’s six games under 200, but that game should be taken with a grain of salt as he didn’t play much of the game due to injury. So, five games under 200 yards leaves much to be desired, and overall, the Gamecocks ranked 75th in passing yards per game in the country. To some degree, that held South Carolina back last season.
What the Gamecocks need in 2025
To me, the biggest question is the offensive line. It has been shaky for multiple years now, and it feels like it’s the biggest thing holding the Gamecocks back from breaking through the ceiling. Carolina returns plenty of experience at both tackle positions from a year ago, including Josiah Thompson at LT (a freshman All-SEC selection), but will need to replace all three interior line positions. Beamer brought in three OL in the portal and two top 300 linemen in the 2025 class. They need this group to mesh, and there is some talent and promise there, but breaking in all three interior line positions will not be easy.
The offensive line leads to the next two obvious points that the Gamecocks need to meet expectations. If the offensive line is better, expect LaNorris Sellers to elevate his game in every facet. But not matter what, Sellers is the key to a great season in Columbia. We all know how gifted he is as a runner, but he has to improve in the passing game for South Carolina to once again knock on the door of the CFP.
And what does he need to do that? He needs the weapons around him to step up, and there are many unknowns there. Former 5-star Nyck Harbor enters his third season at USC, and it is time for him to break out. His connection with Sellers flashed at times last year, but it needs to be firing on all cylinders from snap one of the ‘25 season. Harbor needs to have a Xavier Legette-type year. After that, who else will step up?
We focused heavily on the offense here because the defense has been a stalwart now for multiple seasons under Beamer and DC Clayton White, and special teams will be stout as it always is when there is a Beamer at the helm. The defense must replace the bulk of it’s production from last season, so it won’t be easy for the Gamecocks to maintain last season’s success. However, there is plenty of talent on this side of the ball. The third level is the most experienced of the group. Most of the questions come on the defensive line where Kennard must be replaced, but Dylan Stewart is a monster and there are multiple pieces Beamer put in place through the portal that should fill in nicely.
How they can earn some extra biscuits
Keep the momentum going. They can earn an extra biscuit with another nine-win season. If they make the playoff, you can expect them to earn two more biscuits. This season could solidify South Carolina in the upper half of the conference, and a team not to be taken lightly for years to come, but the time is now. With LaNorris Sellers likely off to the NFL after this season, Beamer and the boys need to strike while the iron is hot.
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