The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming off a 9-4 campaign that included a top-15 finish and a near miss to the College Football Playoff. As fall practice begins, the Gamecocks are aiming to take the next step in the climb to the top of the 2025 season. According to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), South Carolina comes in ranked at No. 15 in the SEC and is projected to finish with a 7-5 record. The FPI also gives the Gamecocks a 1.8% chance to win the SEC title, but more intriguingly, a 20.3% shot to reach the College Football Playoffs.
One of the biggest hurdles for the Gamecocks will be navigating their roster changes. South Carolina ranks at No. 71 nationally in returning players, per ESPN, with just 56% of last year's output coming back. The Gamecock defense took the biggest hit, with only 46% of its production returning from 2024. The most notable departures include Kyle Kennard and Rocket Sanders. Despite those losses, the national buzz around South Carolina continues to grow, and it is centered around redshirt quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Paul Finebaum recently called Sellers "the best quarterback they've had" going as far as to say the young signal-caller could be among the top three or four QBs in all of college football this fall. Finebaum's praise of Sellers is well-deserved, as the QB threw 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, with a 65.6% completion rate. Sellers also added 674 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.
The legacy of LaNorris Sellers is still being written, and the 2025 college football season could be the defining chapter. And his next opportunity will be soon, on August 31 against Virginia Tech. Kick off is set for 3:00 p.m.