South Carolina Gamecock fans might be gearing up for summer holidays in late June and early July. But one big date on the calendar in early July that college football fans have circled is the release of EA Sports' College Football 2027.Â
Ahead of the game's July 9 release date, the folks at EA Sports are dropping ratings for several college football teams, including overall rankings. EA Sports rates each team's respective offensive and defensive units, then rates the team overall. Let's take a look at where the South Carolina Gamecocks football team checked in. Â
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As for how EA Sports ranks each team, the closer a team or unit is to 100, the better. For example, the Oregon Ducks checked in with a 91 overall rating, putting them atop the rankings. EA places South Carolina's offense with an 83rd ranking, and an 81st ranking on defense. Overall, the Gamecocks checked in at 82nd overall. South Carolina checked in right behind Arizona and Florida State, which also had an 82 overall rating. South Carolina was in front of UCLA, Arizona State and Cal. Here's a look at the top-10 rankings:
- Oregon (91 overall)
- Ohio State (90 overall)
- Indiana (90 overall)
- Notre Dame (89 overall)
- Texas (89 overall)
- Ole Miss (88 overall)
- Miami (88 overall)
- LSU (88 overall)
- Georgia (87 overall)
- Oklahoma (87 overall)
All in all, the Gamecocks' rating in EA Sports' list isn't all that surprising. It would be hard to justify ranking South Carolina very high after a 4-8 season in Columbia, Shane Beamer's worst season since he's been with the Gamecocks. Not to mention South Carolina has to navigate a tough schedule in 2026, featuring road trips to Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and Clemson. The Gamecocks also will have to play the likes of Tennessee and Georgia at home.Â
But there are several reasons that South Carolina fans can be optimistic heading into 2026. For starters, key returnees on offense include quarterback LaNorris Sellers, running back Matt Fuller and leading receiver Nyck Harbor. There is also plenty of buzz surrounding newly hired offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, hired over from TCU.
On defense, South Carolina returns star EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart, who will be coached by new defensive ends Deion Barnes. Barnes coached several first-round NFL Draft picks at Penn State, including Abdul Carter and Chop Robinson. The Gamecocks also get back key guys in the linebacking corps, including Fred Johnson, Justin Okoronkwo and Shawn Murphy. Â
Obviously there are several bright spots for South Carolina as the 2026 season begins. But the big question is can Coach Beamer put it all together and put together a big season for the Gamecocks. At the very least, South Carolina will have to make a bowl game if the Beamer era in Columbia is to continue, most likely. Putting together a surprise eight or nine-win season puts the Gamecocks in an even bigger spot. Â
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