South Carolina Gamecocks Biggest Obstacle During Spring Football

The South Carolina Gamecocks' biggest obstacle during spring football.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are getting ready for the 2025 college football season. They had a successful 2024 campaign under head coach Shane Beamer and nearly pushed their way into a college football playoff spot. So if the Gamecocks want to be back in playoff contention what do they need to figure out this spring?

ESPN's Heather Dinich released an article detailing what every playoff contender's biggest obstacle this spring is. Here is what she said for the Gamecocks:

"Replacing the heart of the defense. While the departure of All-America defensive end Kyle Kennard to the NFL garnered the most attention, South Carolina lost significant talent at every level of the defense -- including four defensive tackles, three linebackers, a safety and a cornerback," Dinich wrote. "The front seven, particularly the interior of the defensive line, will require new players to learn quickly, but expectations remain high for a group that finished in the top 20 nationally last season in scoring defense. The Gamecocks were a fringe CFP contender last year, and if they are going to move up in the selection committee's rankings this fall, the defense will have to find players to sustain that success. This spring is an opportunity for an influx of transfers to begin the process. A season opener against Virginia Tech isn't a gimme, and SEC road trips to Mizzou, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M are a gauntlet before facing what should be one of the ACC's best offenses in rival Clemson."

The Gamecocks do return the likes of Dylan Stewart and Jalon Kilgore on defense but they are going to need more than those two names to be difference makers this season. The offense was making headlines last season because of LaNorris Sellers, but it was South Carolina's defense that made all of the difference last season.

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