Florida heads into Saturday trying to steady itself after whatever went down at Missouri, and South Carolina offers a very different kind of test than the record might suggest. The Gamecocks are sitting as two-touchdown underdogs, and Shane Beamer’s future has become part of the conversation, but there is still enough talent on this roster to demand attention.
The biggest name is quarterback LaNorris Sellers, No. 16.
Going into the 2025 offseason, there was plenty of buzz around him and DJ Lagway, and plenty of people believed Sellers had a real chance to emerge as a top-three SEC quarterback in 2025. That hasn’t fully happened.
His running game has not been as central this season as it was in 2024, and his overall production has slipped. Even so, he has been steady enough during South Carolina’s three-game losing streak.
Last week against Kentucky, he ran for 148 yards. He also had two fumbles.
Details.
South Carolina’s offense has not been the issue, and the Gamecocks are No. 25 in points per game. Running back Matt Fuller, No. 28, has become the lead back and is in the middle of a breakout season.
The former lower-tier four-star already has 433 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He’s also chipped in as a receiver, with 109 receiving yards through five games.
At receiver, the production is spread around. South Carolina has five players with more than 100 receiving yards, but nobody has cleared 210.
Mazeo Bennett Jr., No. 3, is currently the team’s top wideout. The Gamecocks also have former class of 2023 five-star Nyck Harbor, who has been targeted 29 times but has only 13 catches this season.
On defense, edge rusher Dylan Stewart, No. 6, has been at the center of some of the chaos surrounding this team. Before the season, he was viewed as a legit top-ten prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
A back injury in 2025 kept him out of essentially the entire offseason and the first two games of the 2026 season. He returned against Mississippi State and played just 14 snaps, then got up to 29 snaps against Alabama before throwing a punch and drawing a suspension last week against Kentucky.
Inside, Tomiwa Durojaiye, No. 13, is the defensive lineman Florida needs to know. South Carolina’s defense has been nearly as rough overall as Florida’s, but Durojaiye has still been disruptive on the interior, where he has been giving teams trouble in the B gap.
In Other News...
Florida Could Get Key Help Back While One Gators Concern Lingers
Florida got a little good news on the availability front ahead of its game against South Carolina, with senior safety Bryce Thornton no longer on the injury report and expected back in action. The Gators also have running back London Montgomery and cornerback Dijon Johnson listed as probable, which gives the staff a few more options as it sorts through the rotation for a conference matchup that could use some stability on both sides of the ball.
Vernell Brown III is still the name to watch, though, as the freshman remains questionable with a knee strain even while showing positive progress. Florida has not closed the door on his return, but for now the Gators are still waiting to see how much late-week improvement he can make before deciding whether he can be part of the mix against the Gamecocks. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Gymnastics Shakeup Just Got Even More Emotional
Floridas gymnastics roster has taken an unexpected turn, with Leanne Wong, Kaylee Bluffstone and Taylor Clark all removed from the active list and the program offering no public explanation for the moves. Head coach Jenny Rowland has confirmed the changes, but so far she has stopped short of providing any specifics, leaving the situation around one of the sports most closely watched teams to be sorted through mostly from the outside.
Skylar Drasers recent removal from the roster has only added to the unease, especially after the senior pushed back on the online speculation swirling around the team. Draser also said she plans to graduate and enter the NCAA transfer portal, a development that gives the Gators even more to sort out as the season moves forward and the unanswered questions around the roster continue to hang over the program. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Now Has A Bigger Problem To Solve Against South Carolina
Floridas trip to South Carolina just got a little more complicated with Dylan Stewart back in the picture. The Gamecocks defensive end had been sidelined since an incident in the Week 4 game against Alabama, which kept him out of the next matchup against Kentucky, but ESPNs Pete Thamel reported that his indefinite suspension has now been lifted.
For Florida, that means preparing for a South Carolina defense with one of its most disruptive pieces available again. Any game on the road in the SEC is hard enough, and now the Gators have another pass-rushing threat to account for as they try to sort out a matchup that already carried plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]