As the Gamecocks prepare for summer workouts and the upcoming 2025 football season, the offensive line will be the major storyline. There is already a ton of hype surrounding the return of star quarterback LaNorris Sellers, and while South Carolina boasts experience at tackle, rebuilding the interior will be crucial for the offense to succeed this season.
Head coach Shane Beamer recently joined the Always College Football Podcast to share his thoughts on the outlook of the offensive line post-spring practice.
"We’re returning a starter in Cason Henry on the right side and Josiah Thompson on the left side. Both of those guys are really good players and performed well for us,” coach Shane Beamer said. “Josiah was a true freshman last year. But we have depth there too. Tree Babalade is back for another year. He started as a true freshman back in 2023. He’s pushing Josiah and Cason, and they’re competing along with Jatavius Shivers as well. So that’s a really good competition.”
The tackle position is strong, but the interior line is where the question remains. South Carolina lost their starting center and both guards from last season, so Shane Beamer and his staff hit the transfer portal hard during the offseason. Among the newcomers are center Boaz Staley (Troy), Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest), and Rodney Newsom (Western Kentucky).
Beamer talked about his confidence with the recruiting wins along the defensive front.“It’s time for those guys to be the players we know they are,” he said, referring to former four-star Markee Anderson, early enrollee Shedrick Sarratt, and sophomore Trovon Baugh, who started at guard in 2023 as a true freshman.
“We’re athletic there, I think, and we’ve recruited well. I feel good about it," Beamer said. "But any time you have to replace your starting center in Vershon Lee, who was basically our starter the whole time I’ve been here, that’s a concern. Fortunately, we have two tackles with a lot of experience.”
Heading into summer workouts, the interior line is developing, and with strong bookends on the line, South Carolina could develop one of the most important unis to watch this season.