Could the South Carolina Gamecocks Be One of the Most Improved Teams in CFB?

Could the South Carolina Gamecocks be one of the most improved teams in college football?

Shane Beamer's time at South Carolina has been an up and down roller coaster ride. In 2024, they were on the verge of making the college football playoff, thanks to a very strong end to the season. Heading into 2025, some thought the Gamecocks were a sleeper team in the SEC. Last season ended with the Gamecocks ended with just four wins and one win in conference play.

It's still may not be time to quit on the Gamecocks yet, though. They return some key pieces from last year's team and added some notable names out of the transfer portal. On top of that, they have completely reworked the offensive line room, which included making a coaching change, something that has been the demise of South Carolina football over the years.

So with those things taken into account, could the Gamecocks be one of the most improved teams in college football this season? ESPN's David Hale certainly thinks they could be.

Can the South Carolina Gamecocks Be the Most Improved Team in CFB?

South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer disputes a pass interference call in the game with Clemson during the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, November 29, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"How about South Carolina?" Hale asked. "The pressure is on coach Shane Beamer after a disappointing 4-8 year, but LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart are back, five of the Gamecocks' first six games come against teams that missed a bowl last year, and although the back end of the schedule is tougher, it would take only an upset or two to get South Carolina into the eight- or nine-win range. And if there's anything we've learned from the Beamer-era Gamecocks, it's that they tend to play their best when no one's expecting it."

There are certainly some things to love about South Carolina heading into 2026. Sellers was, at one point and time, considered as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Stewart is still considered to be one of the most dominant defensive players in the country and Kendal Briles now calling the offensive plays in Columbia provides some optimism around the program.

However, the same questions still remain for the Gamecocks that existed last season. Can the offensive line keep Sellers upright? They made some moves to improve in that department, but the news of Josiah Thompson missing this season certainly doesn't help. Can Sellers provide more consistent play from the pocket? That ties into the first question and we all know what Sellers can do to defenses outside of the pocket.

From there you get into questions about specific players. Can Nyck Harbor take another step in his game? He's a big returning offensive weapon who needs to show more production than he did a season ago. Can Vicari Swain continue to be the game changing playmaker he was last season? Can Tennessee transfer Caleb Herring be another portal home run on defense this season?

If the Gamecocks can provide firm answers to those questions, but more importantly the right answers, then there is a certainly a world where they are th emost improved team in college football in 2026.