The 2025-26 offseason was one of the biggest for South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, coming off of a 4-8 season. Not only did he hire new coaches in offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and running backs coach Stan Drayton, the Gamecocks also landed several big-time players from the transfer portal.
In addition to those new players, the Gamecocks also prevented players from entering the portal, such as star quarterback LaNorris Sellers, running back Matt Fuller, wide receiver Nyck Harbor and EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart.
The Athletic has released new estimates on how much each college football team spent respectively on their 2026-27 rosters. According to their estimates, the Gamecocks spent between $32 and $35 million. That's good for 14th nationally among power-conference schools, although it's still several tens of millions behind the likes of Ohio State ($49-54M), Oregon ($48-54M) and Texas ($45-55M).
Inside the SEC, the Gamecocks check in at No. 8 overall, behind Florida ($31-41M), Alabama ($38-42M) and Tennessee ($41-43M). The Texas Longhorns took the top spot there, spending $45-55M, followed by LSU $47-50M and Texas A&M $45-50M.
While the outlet states clearly that no one truly knows how legitimate the numbers are, it shows a snapshot of where the Gamecocks' spending is compared to the rest of the SEC and country.
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The other nugget that's interesting from The Athletic's reporting is whether or not the teams that spend the most are expected to make the College Football Playoff. Teams that spend above $40 million include seven teams that have a 50% shot at making the CFP. Seven more teams fall between 25 and 50%, spending $37-41M. Of the $29-33M rosters, which includes South Carolina, the likelihood drops to 15-25%.
The Athletic also adds that school administrators likely want to think their rosters cost a lot more, although it may be far less likely than what was shared. The whole piece is a fascinating look at just how much money goes into building elite rosters.
Among the biggest names Beamer landed from the portal were offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak, who is listed as probable for Saturday afternoon's matchup against Mississippi State, as well as running backs Christian Clark and Jabree Coleman. He also landed several other offensive lineman, including Carter Miller from UCF and Emmanuel Poku from ECU.
Fans would be wise to take all these numbers with a grain of salt. But if South Carolina spent over $30 million just to make a lower-tier bowl like the Gator or Reliaquest Bowl, that might not bode well for Coach Beamer's future in Columbia.
South Carolina's CFP chances hinge on 3 key games. Which can the Gamecocks lose?
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