South Carolina’s Offensive Line Under Fire but Shows Signs of Progress
If you scroll through social media, one criticism from South Carolina fans stands above the rest: what’s going on with the offensive line?
Through five games, the Gamecocks’ front has allowed quarterback LaNorris Sellers to be sacked 14 times — many on crucial downs. Nationally, South Carolina ranks 120th in sacks allowed, ahead of only Auburn in the SEC. The number echoes 2024, when the Gamecocks gave up 41 sacks across 13 games.
Head coach Shane Beamer admitted the situation isn’t ideal, with injuries making matters worse.
“I mean, I think it’s been a factor. I don’t want to sit here and seek comfort and say that we’ve had injuries and we haven’t been as good as we would like,” Beamer said during Sunday’s teleconference. “But it’s not ideal. I mean, last night we started our third different center in five games, and then we had two guys that started against Missouri that weren’t even in uniform last night.”
The absence of starting right tackle Cason Henry for most of the last three games and center Nolan Hay in the last game and a half has forced constant adjustments.
Beamer noted that continuity is key but praised the athleticism and versatility of his players.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s a testament to our offensive line that we’ve got some guys up there that are good athletes and are smart enough to bounce around and have some position flexibility,” Beamer explained. “We do a lot of work on that in spring practice and preseason, trying to train guys in different areas.”
He pointed to former lineman Vershon Lee — now with the Minnesota Vikings practice squad — as a model of that adaptability, recalling how Lee played center, guard, and tackle in his South Carolina career.
Despite the struggles, progress was visible in the win over Kentucky. After allowing five sacks against Missouri, the Gamecocks gave up only two against the Wildcats. More importantly, the run game finally broke through, producing a season-high 178 yards and all three of the team’s offensive touchdowns.
“Really proud of those guys coming in last night and playing really, really physical,” Beamer said. “That’s what I was proud of, was just the intensity that they played with, the physicality they played with, the way they tried to finish blocks.”
Beamer even joked after the win: “That’s a hell of a lot better than -12, or whatever we were last week. So, that’s a positive. We ran it 48 times — which, I love that.”
The Gamecocks also cleaned up their discipline. After nine false starts in the first month of the season — including six at Missouri — South Carolina had just one presnap penalty against Kentucky.
SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic echoed Beamer’s praise, posting on X: “Thought OL had much better energy. Brought the fight.”
With LSU on the horizon, South Carolina hopes the momentum continues — and that the upcoming bye week provides some much-needed healing.
“The bye week is coming at a good time. There’s no question about it,” Beamer said.
