Is South Carolina football ready to meet the hype in 2025?
The buzz surrounding South Carolina football is louder than it's been in years, and the bar is set high heading into the 2025 season. Shane Beamer and company are entering the Fall with some serious firepower, a loaded defense, and a star quarterback that is drawing first-round NFL Draft attention. But as exciting as the "this is our year" conversations are, every die-hard Gamecock knows: when the expectations are high, the fall can hurt the most.
Let's start with the facts: Beamer has already landed a top-15 transfer and a top-25 overall recruiting haul. He not only patched the holes in the roster, but he retained the top talent and retooled with purpose. Adding the return of star QB LaNorris Sellers, who lit up in-state rival Clemson for 330 yards last season, it's no wonder that Columbia is in the national spotlight. And some college football insiders are already calling it a " Playoff or bust" season for the Gamecocks.
Several anonymous college coaches are also buying into the hype too. In Athlon Sports' annual college football preview, one coach said, "They know they’ve got one season to break through with Sellers before he’s gone.” Another added, “If they don’t make the College Football Playoff, it’ll be seen as a disappointment.”
Easy to say, harder to live up. Especially for the Gamecocks, who know better than most that expectations are easier to set than to meet.
Despite Sellers' 2,534 passing yards, 674 rushing yards, and 18 touchdowns last year, and despite a defense that ranked 17th nationally in opponent-adjusted EPA per play allowed, it all is easier said than done. The running back position is still up in the air, with Rocket Sanders' needing to be replaced, and Utah State transfer Rahsul Faison's eligibility still in limbo.
It's no doubt that the Gamecocks have one of the most complete rosters in the SEC, but even oddsmakers are a bit skeptical. Draftkings set South Carolina's win total to just 7.5, giving the Gamecocks a 50/1 odds to win the National Championship. Those numbers are quite different from the lofty expectations being floated around the program.
The Gamecocks will open their 2025 season on the national stage in Atlanta against Virginia Tech. And if South Carolina wants to shed the label of being "overhyped" and finally meet the moment, Atlanta will be where it begins. Let's go!