The wait is finally over, folks. After a grueling 10-month offseason, the South Carolina Gamecocks will finally play football this week in Williams-Brice Stadium.
Now that the season is finally here, let's take a look at the five biggest questions for the Gamecocks entering a pivotal 2026 season for head coach Shane Beamer.
Will hiring offensive coordinator Kendal Briles pay off?
There's no question that the biggest hire Shane Beamer made this offseason was at offensive coordinator. To turn things around offensively in Columbia, he chose former TCU and Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles as his playcaller.
He has a solid track record as a playcaller, helping Josh Hoover at TCU the last few seasons, and guiding the likes of KJ Jefferson at Arkansas. South Carolina has plenty of talent for Briles to utilize this season, with quarterback LaNorris Sellers being the focal point. The belief is that in Briles' system, things will slow down for the signal-caller, and he can have his best season yet in Columbia.
Sellers has plenty of big names returning around him, including star returning wide receiver Nyck Harbor and running back Matt Fuller.
Briles is expected to be one of the best hires Beamer has made during his six-year coaching tenure. We'll see if that pans out to be true.
Can LaNorris Sellers finally live up to the hype?
Sellers had a breakout season in 2024 his first year as a starter in Columbia, throwing for 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, adding another 674 yards with seven scores on the ground.
But under former offensive coordinator Mike Shula and playing behind a disjointed offensive line last season, Sellers looked like a shell of his former self. He threw for just 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions, while taking a career-high 42 sacks. He rushed for just 270 yards, as well.
Sellers should be much improved under a rebuilt offensive line, headlined by star offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak, who transferred from NC State. Playing behind solid pass-protection should give him much more time to have plays develop and throw downfield. It should also drastically open up the quarterback run game.
In what is expected to be Seller's final season in Columbia, we'll see if it is indeed the best of his career.
Which transfer portal addition will have the biggest impact?
The second big thing Coach Beamer did this offseason was landing several big-time prospects from the portal. Peak is the biggest, although the Gamecocks will be without him for Week 1 as he rehabs back from a knee injury. Across his three seasons at NC State, he gave up just seven sacks.
The Gamecocks also added offensive linemen in Armando Nieves from New Mexico State, Emmanuel Poku from East Carolina, Hank Purvis from Purdue and Carter Miller from UCF. South Carolina's running back room also added Jabree Coleman from Penn State and Christian Clark from Texas.
On defense, South Carolina is expecting big things from former Kentucky defensive back Quay'Sheed Scott, Alabama defensive lineman Kelby Collins and Tomiwa Durojaiye from Illinois. Coach Beamer also had a late addition with former App State defensive back transfer Ethan Johnson, who the Gamecocks signed in mid-August.
Can South Carolina break through the CFP ceiling?
The last time Coach Beamer had a losing season in 2023, his team made College Football noise one season later.
South Carolina was on the cusp of the CFP conversation in 2024, when the Gamecocks finished the regular season 9-3. South Carolina vaulted into the conversation after taking down then-No. 16 Clemson.
But the Gamecocks were seen as a fringe team at best, with three losses to ranked teams to LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama, with only the Crimson Tide making the final 12-team field. South Carolina also had one more loss than eventual qualifiers SMU, Indiana and Tennessee.
The conversation was also relatively short-lived thanks to Tigers inevitably making it into the ACC Championship Game. Clemson won that game against SMU, giving the Tigers a guaranteed CFP berth as a conference champion.
Beamer will be looking to be more than just in the CFP conversation in 2026. With games against Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia and Clemson, there are several opportunities for South Carolina to do just that.
Will Shane Beamer do enough to keep his job?
Coach Beamer is entering his sixth season at South Carolina, with a 30-33 overall record. He has already admitted this offseason that he enters 2026 squarely on the hot seat after his 4-8 season.
At the bare minimum, the Gamecocks likely need to at the very least make a bowl for him to remain South Carolina's head coach. Anything less than that, the Gamecocks will likely move on from him. His buyout is estimated to be somewhere between $27 and $26 million this year.
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