The South Carolina Gamecocks wrapped up spring football a couple of weeks ago, and the post-spring rankings are pouring in. ESPN already ranked the Gamecocks' with one of the best transfer-portal hauls of the offseason.
Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt recently released his post-spring Top 25 rankings. South Carolina checked in at No. 24 on his rankings:
Thoughts on @joelklatt's Post-Spring Top 25? 👀 pic.twitter.com/AIMQ6aAGp3
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) May 4, 2026
In his weekly podcast breaking down his rankings, he further detailed where he placed the Gamecocks at 24th.
“They did bring in Kendal Briles as their new offensive coordinator and obviously he can infuse a little bit there,” Klatt said, as transcribed by Pro Football Network. “They bring back the most offensive production in the SEC. So, I’m looking at South Carolina, and listen, I think that there is a lot of hope. They’re going to make my Top 25 here.”
Klatt then went on to add that South Carolina's schedule for 2026, which includes games on the road against Alabama, Oklahoma and Clemson, is a big reason why he has the Gamecocks barely cracking the Top-25.
“They have to overcome a really tough schedule," Klatt continued. "They’ve got road games at Alabama, at Florida, Oklahoma, and Clemson, all of those on the road. They would be higher if it weren’t for the schedule at this point.”
South Carolina 2026 schedule
Here's a look at the Gamecocks' schedule for 2026. As you can see, the non-conference slate features Kent State, Towson and Clemson. It includes the aforementioned road trips, in addition to tough home games against Tennessee, Texas A&M and Georgia. All three of those teams are expected to be contenders for a College Football Playoff spot in 2026.
Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
Sept. 5 | Vs. Kent State |
Sept. 12 | Vs. Towson |
Sept. 19 | Vs. Mississippi State |
Sept. 26 | @ Alabama |
Oct. 3 | Vs. Kentucky |
Oct. 10 | @ Florida |
Oct. 24 | Vs. Tennessee |
Oct. 31 | @ Oklahoma |
Nov. 7 | Vs. Texas A&M |
Nov. 14 | @ Arkansas |
Nov. 21 | Vs. Georgia |
Nov. 28 | @ Clemson |
Per FanDuel, South Carolina's win total is listed at over/under 6.5 wins. Given the Gamecocks' tough schedule, there aren't a ton of guaranteed wins on South Carolina's slate. For the Shane Beamer era to continue in Columbia, the Gamecocks will likely at least have to be bowl eligible.
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