Three South Carolina Players To Watch Against Virginia Tech On Sunday

South Carolina game day is nearly here. It is the most anticipated season in the Shane Beamer era, with eyes on the College Football Playoff. The key is a good start to the season. Let’s take a look at some players to watch in the Week 1 matchup against Virginia Tech.

1. Rahsul Faison- It’s been a long, length process for Faison after he transferred from Utah State to South Carolina. It took until game week for Faison to be cleared and be able to play and suit up for the Gamecocks this season.

“Yeah, it was a lot of ups and downs for sure, but for the most part I was in good spirits through it all because I, you know, I've been here with my teammates, my coaches, Coach Beamer, Coach Black, and then obviously my family, they played a major part," said Faison. "So, people around me just kept me high, and then I've been through worse. I had faith that it would happen and the NCAA would do the right thing. So, I'm just blessed that they granted me an extra year.”

Faison had a career year for the Aggies last season, rushing for 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He finished with 1,109 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. One of his best games came against Hawaii, where he rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Faison had five games with over 100 rushing yards a season ago. South Carolina is deep at running back, but it will be even better with Faison in the lineup.

2. LaNorris Sellers- This goes without saying, especially with how elite a player Sellers is. The Gamecocks go as Sellers goes. His play will be crucial to the success of South Carolina. Sellers threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 65.6% of his passes. He also did damage on the ground, rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. One of his best games came against No. 23 Missouri at the time. In a thrilling victory, Sellers threw for 353 yards and five touchdowns in the 34-30 victory. Prior to the 2025 season, his offensive coordinator, Mike Shula, talked about what had impressed him about Sellers in fall camp.

“I think it is the constant steadiness. We've had a lot of really good practices. I mean that regarding competition with offense and defense, and Shane does a great job of promoting that. So with the competition being as high as it is on both sides there it gets emotional even in practice. You guys are out there for a little bit, but I mean, it's very competitive, and you can kind of, you know, which is great, and it becomes more gamelike, but for him to kind of be kind of constant throughout that through some good plays through some negative plays,”said Shula.

“You guys know we're young. We're still fitting pieces together, and everybody's kind of in the same boat. There's going to be a lot of other teams that are going to have young guys playing or transfer portal guys playing, and you've got to try to make them fit as fast as you can, and each play together kind of helps that. While we're doing that and coming closer together as an offense he's been very constant in that regard.”

Sellers will get a chance to showcase all of his improvement and growth in front of a national audience on Sunday.

3. Nyck Harbor- You can easily go with Dylan Stewart or Jalon Kilgore as players to watch wit their elite talent, but Harbor is a key piece on offense for the Gamecocks. He had a productive season last year, but South Carolina needs him to take that next step forward. He’s known for his elite speed and breakaway ability, but they need Harbor to emerge as that WR1, especially with an infusion of young talent that will get a lot of playing time, especially in Week 1. Backup quarterback Luke Doty compared him to Xavier Leggette with how much he had improved this past fall camp and how he performed on a day to day which is a welcome sight for South Carolina fans.

“I tell him every day, like you are getting so much better. This time last year, it's night and day. Don't get me wrong, he was a monster last year, too. But just to see how far he's come and how hard he's worked to get to where he is right now. Like I tell him every day like you are getting better. You're continuing to get better,” said Doty. “You're going to have a great day today, and like whatever it is, like just keep doing what you're doing because it's working. Being, I guess, out there and being able to see that from him and just kind of being a witness to like how much work and time he's put into it, it's been really cool to see.”

The Gamecocks need this, and Harbor will get a chance to show the world how much he has improved against Virginia Tech.

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