It's officially fall camp week for the South Carolina Gamecocks football team. The team takes the practice fields on Friday, August 1 as they get prepared for their first game of the season on August 31 against the Virginia Tech Hokies. However, before we get to that showdown to kick off the 2025 season for the Gamecocks, what have people been predicting for Shane Beamer's squad?
Recently on the On3 YouTube channel, On3's J.D. PicKell gave his game-by-game prediction for the Gamecocks going into the 2025 season. He stated in the July 27 video, “You’ve got the stars on this roster that reset what your floor is. If other guys around them can elevate, and Shane Beamer can get this team to play like they did last year…that’s where you take that next step and go from a team that’s winning eight games and talking about the Playoff to actually making the Playoff.”
He has belief in the Gamecocks' offense, but the thing for him is that everyone around LaNorris Sellers needs to step up their game if they want to win games this upcoming season. He did mention Nyck Harbor and Mazeo Bennett for the wide receivers, who could have breakout campaigns. The only thing is that who will step up in the running back room? That is where the elevation needs to come from, along with the offensive line, which has allowed 41 sacks in back-to-back seasons. If they can limit the pressures to give Sellers time, there could be progression everywhere on the offense.
When it comes to the defense, PicKell is not worried when it comes to that facet of the Gamecock's roster. He stated, “When Dylan Stewart gets double-teamed, Bryan Thomas, you can get loose and make a sack…I need something like that.” If Thomas can be the extra punch to press on the pass and running game, the Gamecocks could make opposing backfields scramble all season. That is especially when Stewart is potentially considered for the All-SEC after this upcoming season.
As it comes down to it, PicKell projected the Gamecocks to go 9-3 in 2025, and miss the college football playoff again. He has them winning against the Hokies, South Carolina State, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Coastal Carolina. However, he thinks the three losses will come against Alabama, Texas A&M, and Clemson.
PicKell believes that Texas A&M and Clemson owe the Gamecocks losses after how things went down in 2024. The Gamecocks rolled the Aggies 44-20 at home on November 2, and they went to "Death Valley", winning 17-14 to cap off the six-game winning streak to end the season. The Gamecocks in 2025 head to Kyle Field on November 15 to take on the Aggies, while they host Clemson on November 29 to finish the season.
While those two games could be a toss-up, there is no way Beamer and the Gamecocks will let the Tigers come into Williams-Brice and let their in-state rivals ruin a potential 10-win season and a chance for the CFP. However, going to College Station will be a true road test, but the Gamecocks won handily in Norman, OK, and in Nashville, TN, with a close game in Clemson, SC, to take care of business with three road wins.
The floor could be 9-3, however, the ceiling could also be 11-1, most likely 10-2. Either way, this will be an exciting season for Beamer and the Gamecocks who look to build off of 2024, and prove that they deserve to be in the CFP in 2025. We're only 34 days from Game 1 in Atlanta against the Hokies. But who is counting?