Day Two Observations: Sellers Spreads the Ball Around as South Carolina’s Position Battles Take Shape
COLUMBIA — South Carolina football’s second preseason practice on August 8 at the Long Family Football Operations Center offered another round of early clues about where several of the roster’s most important position battles currently stand, with the season opener against Kent State now less than a month away on September 5.
A family affair on the sideline
Weekend sessions have a way of drawing extra spectators, and Saturday’s practice was no exception. Head coach Shane Beamer’s son, Hunter, was on hand, as was Norris Sellers Sr., father of both starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers and wide receiver Jayden Sellers, who watched from the sideline throughout the session. Reporters were permitted to observe the first five periods — warmups and position drills — with players not expected to be in full pads until August 14.
Two key injury situations remain unchanged
The most consistent storyline through two days of practice has been what fans still aren’t seeing. Jacarrius Peak was again absent from visible drills for the second straight day, while Dylan Stewart was present but sidelined in a jersey and shorts, standing off to the side without participating. Peak, projected as a cornerstone addition to a retooled offensive line after transferring in from NC State, suffered a knee injury in a team-related basketball game just a month after arriving in Columbia back in February — an injury that kept him out for the entirety of spring practice. Stewart’s absence traces to a different issue, a nagging back injury that first surfaced midway through last season and that he spent the spring working to recover from rather than practicing.
No frontrunner yet in a genuinely open kicking battle
South Carolina’s kicking situation carries some recent precedent worth noting — in each of the past two seasons, Beamer’s kicking competition was ultimately won by a fifth-year player with no prior game experience at the position. This year’s battle looks considerably more unsettled through two practices. Texas Tech transfer Upton Bellenfant, Southeast Missouri State transfer Malik Orsan (who didn’t see action during his freshman season), and Max Kelley (who handled kickoff duties as a freshman in 2025 before shifting focus to place-kicking) have all been splitting reps evenly. Based on what’s been observed so far, there’s no clear signal pointing toward an early favorite among the three.
Sellers spreading the ball around effectively
While Nyck Harbor remains the headline name in South Carolina’s receiving corps, Saturday’s session suggested Sellers has real depth to work with beyond his top target. Drill work showed no noticeable drop-off in execution when Sellers targeted other receivers in the rotation. Freshman Sequel Patterson was on the receiving end of a sharp completion from Sellers — the kind of rep that could position him to climb the depth chart quickly with a strong month of August ahead. Oklahoma transfer Jayden Gibson, who hasn’t seen game action since the end of the 2023 season due to a knee injury, also looked encouraging in drills, showing no signs of hesitation or diminished speed as he continues working his way back.
Clark emerging as an early leader at running back
The running back competition remains formally open, but Texas transfer Christian Clark made a strong early impression. The junior caught passes from all four quarterbacks on the roster and displayed both the strength and speed expected of a featured back, appearing locked in and purposeful throughout the drills reporters observed. New running backs coach Stan Drayton has kept the messaging simple for his position group, emphasizing that his players have essentially two core responsibilities: protecting the football and protecting the quarterback. Clark’s track record supports that kind of trust — Pro Football Focus rated him the fourth-highest run blocker on Texas’s roster last season with a 71.7 grade, suggesting his value could extend beyond just ball-carrying if he wins the job.
A freshman edge rusher making a physical statement
Freshman Julian Walker has been hard to miss on the practice field, standing noticeably taller than most of his teammates. Though officially listed at 6-foot-6 on the roster, Walker told reporters he’s actually grown another half-inch since the summer began. With Stewart currently sidelined, Walker has a real opportunity to make a case for the second edge rusher spot, and early returns are encouraging — he looked strong, composed and sharp in drills, showing none of the hesitation or execution lapses that might be expected from a true freshman this early in preseason camp.
What it all adds up to heading into Week 2
Two practices in, South Carolina’s biggest storylines remain largely unresolved — the kicking competition is still wide open, the running back job hasn’t been decided, and both Peak and Stewart remain sidelined with no clear return timeline. But there are genuine positive signs emerging as well: Sellers appears to have real receiving depth to lean on beyond Harbor, Clark looks like a serious contender in the backfield, and Walker’s early camp performance suggests South Carolina may have found a capable answer at edge rusher even while Stewart continues to recover.
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