FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt is high on South Carolina as the 2025 season is set to kick off for the Gamecocks at the end of the month, but even he admits his ranking may be just a little aggressive. On his show Monday, Klatt unveiled his own preseason Top 25, placing the Gamecocks at No. 11 in the nation. He admitted that the lofty spot in the rankings for the South Carolina program is built largely around two elite talents that continue to make headlines: quarterback LaNorris Sellers and defensive end Dylan Stewart. Both playmakers are entering their second seasons in Columbia, and both are already considered among the best in college football at their positions.
“At No. 11, this is really a team that I think I’ve overrated,” Klatt said on his show. “But they’ve got a quarterback that I think is exceptional, they have a defensive player that could be one of the best defenders in the sport, and so, because of that, I’ve got to rate them high. Maybe not Top 10, but at eleven, I’ve got South Carolina.”
Klatt praised Sellers' leadership qualities and athleticism, while also pointing out Stewart's game-changing presence off the edge. However, he also pointed also noted that the rest of the roster will need to develop quickly, especially on the defensive side of the ball, which is replacing key contributors from last season. Fortunately, South Carolina' schedule will help with that growth. The Gamecocks open with a semi-favorable stretch through the first part of the season, but then the difficulty ramps up considerably in the second half of the year.
“This team’s schedule is backloaded,” Klatt explained. “Their last seven games? At LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, at Ole Miss, then an off week, then at Texas A&M, Coastal Carolina, and Clemson. That’s difficult — very difficult. They’re going to have to bring their lunch pail just to make it to the postseason.”
Six out of those final seven opponents are also ranked in Klatt's preseason Top 25, including three of those teams inside the Top 10. The SEC schedule is a gauntlet that will test whether or not South Carolina can once again make a push for the College Football Playoff after finishing just outside the field last season.
“This is a team that was knocking on the door last year,” Klatt said. “Maybe they get over that hump this year with an experienced quarterback and really quality players on the defensive side.”
With Sellers and Stewart leading the charge, the Gamecocks will have no shortage of star power. The only question is whether the rest of the squad can rise to the challenge and turn that talent into a breakthrough season.