Oklahoma’s 2026 SEC slate brings South Carolina to Norman on Oct. 31, and the Gamecocks arrive with a roster that still has plenty of familiar pieces despite a rough 2025 finish. South Carolina went 4-8 overall and 1-7 in conference play last season, landing in 15th place in the SEC, but it does return 11 starters for Shane Beamer’s sixth year in charge.
Beamer enters the season with a 33-30 record, and the biggest reason South Carolina should still draw attention is the group it brings back on offense. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is the headliner after throwing for 2,437 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions while also adding 270 rushing yards and five scores. He’ll have a strong cast around him, too, including wide receiver Nyck Harbor, who caught 30 passes for 618 yards and six touchdowns, along with Donovan Murph, Jayden Sellers and tight end Brady Hunt.
The line should also have some stability. Josiah Thompson is back after 12 starts at left tackle, and Shed Sarratt Jr. returns after making nine starts split between left guard and right tackle.
Defensively, South Carolina has a few proven playmakers as well. EDGE Dylan Stewart posted 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Linebacker Fred Johnson finished with 61 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, three pass breakups and a fumble return. Justin Okoronkwo Judge Collier and safety Peyton Williams also return after contributing in the secondary and at linebacker.
The game is set for Oct. 31 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, with kickoff listed for either between 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT or 5-7 p.m.
In Other News...
Brent Venables Just Earned National Respect For Oklahomas Bigger Rebuild
Brent Venables keeps getting evaluated through the usual Oklahoma lens, but this latest nod points to something bigger than wins and losses. He was placed on the Dodd Trophy preseason watch list for the 2026 season, a reminder that the award is built around scholarship, leadership and integrity as much as on-field results, and that his work in Norman has been noticed well beyond the box score.
For Oklahoma, it also fits the broader rebuild Venables has been pushing since taking over, with player development and leadership at the center of the message. The Sooners have had only one head coach take home the award before, Bob Stoops in 2003, so any mention of Venables in that conversation says plenty about how his program is being viewed as he keeps trying to reshape the culture. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Is Already Facing A Huge 2028 Fall Visit Test
With Oklahomas 2027 class sitting at 27 commitments heading toward Early Signing Day, the Sooners are already shifting some attention to the next wave and trying to get ahead of the 2028 board. Quarterback Trey Tagliaferri is in place as the programs first 2028 commit, but the bigger early challenge is figuring out which blue-chip defenders and other priority prospects will be willing to make Norman a regular stop as their recruiting cycle ramps up.
That makes the fall visit calendar a meaningful early test for the staff, especially with players like Keoni Snipes already on the radar and in-state prospect Kamieon Compton-Nero drawing plenty of outside attention as well. Oklahoma has offers out to several of the top names it wants to keep close, and the Sooners will be looking to turn that early interest into real gameday traffic before the 2028 race gets crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Land Another Massive Recruiting Boost From In-State Commit
Gabriel Osborne Jr. keeps adding to an already eye-catching start for Oklahomas 2027 class. The Mustang cornerback, who committed to the Sooners on June 1, has now been bumped to five-star status in the latest Rivals 300 rankings and sits at No. 21 nationally, a rise that only sharpens the profile of a class that already looks loaded with top-end talent.
For Oklahoma, the bigger picture is hard to miss. Osborne joins offensive lineman Cooper Hackett and tight end Seneca Driver as five-star headliners in a 2027 group that Rivals has at No. 6 nationally with 27 commits, and the Sooners beat out heavyweights such as Miami, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan to land him. The only real question now is how much more the class can climb if the momentum keeps building. [Read more 🡒]