South Carolina LB Colin Bryant Earns Scholarship as NCAA Walk-On Future Remains Uncertain
Spring football is right around the corner, and South Carolina is gearing up for another big season after an impressive 2024 campaign. With a strong returning core, the Gamecocks have their sights set on making noise in the College Football Playoff race.
One of the players who will be back in Columbia next season is linebacker Colin Bryant, who originally joined the team as a walk-on but has now earned a scholarship for the 2025 season. Bryant contributed four tackles last year and now takes the next step in his collegiate career.
However, the concept of walk-ons in college football could be disappearing. The NCAA is currently considering new regulations that might eliminate walk-ons altogether, reshaping roster construction across the sport.
Right now, players who aren’t on scholarship can still receive NIL deals that help cover tuition and living expenses. But with the NCAA moving toward revenue sharing, roster sizes may shrink, potentially phasing out walk-on players.
If that happens, heartfelt scholarship award videos, a staple of college football’s emotional moments, could become a thing of the past. For now, though, Colin Bryant and his teammates are focused on making an impact in 2025—and he’ll be doing it on scholarship.
