The South Carolina Gamecocks are heading into the 2025 season with several key departures from last year's squad, but according to some of the team leaders who are in attendance at SEC Media Days, new playmakers are emerging on both sides of the ball.
Following the NFL Draft in April, five former Gamecocks earned selections, while several other Gamecocks signed as undrafted free agents. As head coach Shane Beamer has some returning veteran, they have also spent the offseason reloading the roster. On Monday, Beamer was joined by quarterback LaNorris Sellers, defensive tackle Nick Barrett, and defensive back DQ Smith in Atlanta to open the week of 2025 SEC Media Days.
Talkin’ ball. pic.twitter.com/GkKDWEvBAw
— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) July 14, 2025
Both Barrett and Smith expressed the significant progress from fellow teammates during spring practice and summer workouts. For Smith, the linebacker group has made the biggest impression on him: "Shawn Murphy, he is coming in and has been a great guy for us in the linebacker room. That's one guy. A lot of young guys stepping up."
Smith also had high praise of safety Peyton Williams and running back Rahsul Faison: “Peyton’s one of those veteran guys who’s just been waiting his turn,” Smith said. “He’s always known the playbook; he just had Nick [Emmanwori] in front of him. This could be his time.”
When asked about Faison, Smith also added: “He’s a tough runner, but he can make you miss, too. He’s making me a better open-field tackler. Losing Rocket Sanders was big, but Faison is already stepping into that leadership role.”
On the front line, Barrett said he sees a high ceiling for several pass rushers this season. “Dylan Stewart, JT Geer, Bryan Thomas. Those guys are ready,” Barrett said. “Dylan’s just dominant. It’s God-given talent.” Barrett also complimented Texas A&M transfer Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, who stepped up in scrimmages with disruption in the backfield and had multiple sacks during the spring.
As the 2025 season draws near, the biggest storyline is redshirt sophomore sensation LaNorris Sellers, who drew comparisons to his predecessor, Spencer Rattler. “He reminds me of Spencer a lot,” Smith said. “The accuracy, the way he reads defenses. He’s getting better and better at picking up on things Spencer used to do.”
The hype surrounding Sellers has grown rapidly, and even head coach Shane Beamer doesn't shy away from the buzz. “There are a lot of great quarterbacks in this league, but I wouldn’t trade ours for any of them,” Beamer said. “He’s handled everything the right way, the attention, the expectations, the pressure. He hasn’t changed one bit.”
One major area of focus for Sellers during this offseason has been ball security after several early-season fumbles in the 2024 campaign. “We’ve implemented things to help with that,” Beamer explained. "But I don’t want to take away his ability to create and make plays either. That’s what makes him special.”
What also makes Sellers special is his loyalty to the team. With the ever-changing college football landscape, questions about transfers and NIL decisions are inevitable. But Beamer made it crystal clear that Sellers never even considered leaving Columbia. “I think he knows this is home,” Beamer said. “He’s got everything he needs right here. We didn’t have a big sit-down about it. I think he just genuinely loves it here. “He’s not just growing on the field. He’s growing in every area. And I think he realizes that you don’t mess with happiness.”
As the South Carolina Gamecocks prepare for a hard conference schedule, the confidence in their QB1 as a leader and in the defense's next wave of rising stars in clear.