South Carolina is headed into Saturday with LaNorris Sellers still carrying the biggest spotlight on the Gamecocks’ offense, and Alabama is coming off a performance in the secondary that left Kane Wommack bluntly unimpressed.
Sellers and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles will try to clean things up against Alabama, while Shane Beamer is trying to buy himself another week. South Carolina’s last outing did not help the mood in Columbia.
Against Mississippi State, the Gamecocks blew a 16-0 lead, and Sellers threw interceptions on back-to-back second-half drives. The boos that followed suggested South Carolina fans are running out of patience with Beamer, and another rough night from Sellers could turn that frustration toward both the quarterback and Briles.
Alabama’s defensive backs are also looking for a reset after what happened against Florida State. Wommack didn’t hide how he felt about that group’s play, calling it: " Highly disappointing and uncharacteristic pass defense. I think the worst I've seen since we have been here."
Still, South Carolina’s quarterback issues are not the worst Alabama will see this season. Based on cfb.stats.com, three other Crimson Tide opponents have more serious problems at quarterback than the Gamecocks do. Alabama is set to face four of the SEC’s five quarterbacks with the lowest QB Passer Rating, with Arkansas’ KJ Jackson the lone one it will not play.
Keelon Russell is in line for a long developmental arc through the 2026 season, but even so, his 157.08 rating tops several of the league’s more established names. Below him sit Sellers at 138.29, Auburn’s Byrum Brown at 137.38, LSU’s Sam Leavitt at 127.31, and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed at 123.94.
Brown, Leavitt, and Reed have all been around long enough that the growth curve is no longer the story. Brown is in his fifth college season and fourth as a starter.
Leavitt is in his fourth season and third as a starter. Reed is also in his fourth season and third as a starter.
They can still pop for a big game, but the inconsistency has already settled in.
Brown has the best completion rate of the group at 64.6%, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio sits at five to four. Leavitt’s numbers are rougher, with a 61.3% completion percentage and three touchdown passes against five interceptions.
Reed’s completion percentage is 59.6%, the lowest among the three, and he is averaging just 6.1 yards per pass attempt, the worst mark in the SEC. He has six touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Brown, Leavitt and Reed can all add value with their legs. Leavitt can also make something out of broken plays when pressure arrives.
Brown has to survive behind an Auburn offensive line that has been leaky. And LSU, with its purported $50 million roster, has no built-in excuse for offensive holes.
In Other News...
Alabamas Slow Starts Are About To Get Seriously Punished
Alabama has survived its first three games, but the early warning signs have been hard to miss. The Crimson Tide have needed second-half rallies to steady themselves, and that habit is about to be tested by a schedule that leaves very little room for slow starts. What looked like manageable early-season turbulence now sits in the shadow of a run that brings ranked opponents and real pressure almost immediately.
South Carolina and Mississippi State loom as the next checkpoints, and both carry enough intrigue to make Alabamas opening stretches matter even more. LaNorris Sellers and Kamario Taylor are among the names to watch in those matchups, but the broader concern for the Tide is simpler: if the sluggish opening quarters continue, the margin for error disappears fast once Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU all come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads To South Carolina With Problems It Can't Keep Ignoring
Alabamas win over Florida State in Week 3 gave the offense plenty to like, with quarterback Keelon Russell helping the Tide score on nine consecutive drives. But the celebration came with a sharp reminder of how much cleaner the overall product still needs to be, because the defense gave up nearly 500 yards and 36 points in a game that could have easily turned into a much bigger conversation about balance.
As Alabama turns to South Carolina, the same issues are sitting right in front of it: slow starts that leave little margin for error, explosive plays that flip momentum, and third-down situations that have too often put the defense on its heels. Kane Wommacks unit will have to show it can sustain a better level for four quarters, because the Tide can afford to admire the offenses rhythm only if the other side of the ball stops creating new problems. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Win Was Comfortable But UTSA Exposed One Lingering Concern
Texas left Alabama with little doubt in Week 3, but the broader non-conference slate still gave the Crimson Tide something to think about. Across the American Conference, teams went 2-7 outside league play, and UTSA was one of the better examples of a team that at least found a little footing on one side of the ball. East Carolina also grabbed a needed win over Old Dominion after a rocky start, while Florida Atlantic and North Texas had mixed showings in their own games.
For Alabama, the comfort of the final result did not erase the fact that UTSA managed to reveal a lingering concern. The Roadrunners were better defensively than they had been earlier in the season, but their offense never really got going in the loss to Texas, which is the kind of uneven performance that can still matter for the Tides long view of where this team stands. Alabama got the win it wanted, but games like this are useful reminders that the details underneath the score still deserve a close look. [Read more 🡒]