Gamecocks Earning Respect: South Carolina Projected 5th in SEC Preseason Poll
Expectations for South Carolina football have reached new heights under head coach Shane Beamer heading into the 2025 season.
In the SEC’s preseason media poll released Friday, the Gamecocks were picked to finish fifth overall among the 16 conference teams — marking their most optimistic ranking since Beamer took the reins in 2021 and their highest preseason spot since 2018.
The only programs ranked ahead of South Carolina were Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU. Notably, Texas received the most support to win the SEC title (96 votes), while the Gamecocks earned five first-place votes of their own.
This strong projection comes after South Carolina defied expectations last season. In 2024, the Gamecocks were predicted to finish 13th, but instead posted a 9-4 record and came within striking distance of the College Football Playoff.
Coach Beamer wasn’t caught off guard by the jump in perception.
“When the predictions come out this week, the normal schools are probably going to be right up there at the top,” Beamer said during SEC Media Days. “And when I say ‘normal ones,’ I mean the ones that have been near the top for pretty much the last 20 years in the SEC.”
While South Carolina isn’t traditionally in that top-tier group, momentum around the program is building.
A key reason? Quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The dual-threat star, who is already generating Heisman buzz, has elevated expectations for USC. Sellers was named the SEC’s preseason First-Team quarterback by the media, the only sophomore to earn the honor.
Joining him on the First-Team is edge rusher Dylan Stewart, with safety Jalon Kilgore earning a spot on the Second-Team defense.
While South Carolina’s rise is generating excitement, Beamer knows projections are just that — projections.
“Last year, when we were at (media days) in Dallas,” Beamer recalled, “nobody thought we were worth a crap and weren’t saying very good things about us. We didn’t listen to it then and we don’t need to be listening to it right now.”
The Gamecocks also benefit from a relatively favorable 2025 schedule — at least by SEC standards. Their opening stretch includes:
- Aug. 31: vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta (3 p.m. on ESPN)
- Sept. 6: vs. South Carolina State (7 p.m. on SECN+)
- Sept. 13: vs. Vanderbilt (7 or 7:45 p.m.)
- Sept. 20: at Missouri (flex)
- Sept. 27: vs. Kentucky (flex)
That slate leads up to a potentially season-defining road trip to LSU on Oct. 11. Other key matchups include hosting Alabama on Oct. 25, a visit to Ole Miss on Nov. 1, and a rivalry finale vs. Clemson on Nov. 29 (noon, ESPN or ABC).
📊 SEC Preseason Media Poll Rankings
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 3060 |
| 2 | Georgia | 2957 |
| 3 | Alabama | 2783 |
| 4 | LSU | 2668 |
| 5 | South Carolina | 2109 |
| 6 | Florida | 1986 |
| 7 | Ole Miss | 1979 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 1892 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 1700 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 1613 |
| 11 | Auburn | 1272 |
| 12 | Missouri | 1170 |
| 13 | Vanderbilt | 936 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 764 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 512 |
| 16 | Mississippi St. | 343 |
📅 South Carolina’s 2025 Schedule Highlights
- Oct. 11: at LSU (flex game)
- Oct. 25: vs. Alabama (flex game)
- Nov. 15: at Texas A&M (early game)
- Nov. 29: vs. Clemson (noon on ESPN or ABC)
📉 Gamecocks’ SEC Preseason Rankings Under Beamer
- 2025: 5th (out of 16)
- 2024: 13th (out of 16)
- 2023: 3rd in SEC East (out of 7)
- 2022: 5th in SEC East
- 2021: 6th in SEC East
South Carolina enters the fall with more national respect than ever under Beamer. Whether they can turn that into a true playoff push remains to be seen — but the path is laid out, and the confidence is real.
