South Carolina offensive coordinator Kendal Briles left little doubt about where his biggest summer buzz has come from: freshman wide receiver Sequel Patterson.
Briles said he has been “incredibly impressed” with Patterson, who enrolled earlier this summer after originally being a 2027 recruit out of Indian Land High School before reclassifying into 2026. The early returns, in Briles’ view, have been hard to miss.
“The guy's got a ton of want-to, and he's got a ton of ability and so when that guy walks in the door, it's going to be a good football player,” Briles said. “The way that he was able to develop with our strength and conditioning staff this summer, he's gotten bigger, he's gotten more explosive and he's already an explosive player.
He catches the ball really, really well. Probably has better ball skills than I anticipated coming in.
He's going to be a guy that pushes a lot of people.”
With preseason camp set to open Friday, Aug. 7, Briles also offered a look at how the rest of the offense has come together over the summer.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, in particular, drew strong praise. Briles called him “a pro” and said the sophomore has handled the offseason with purpose.
“LaNorris is a pro. He's an incredible person.
He's great to work with. He's very driven.
He's very hungry to be successful. The thing we really challenged him on (this summer) was leading everyone on the football team, and he was able to do that this summer.
A lot of the practices that we have, those are player-led practices, and he was leading and holding guys accountable, which is huge. Really pleased with him and what we were able to accomplish this summer.
Got a lot of reps and were able to get us going into fall camp.”
Briles said the offense’s direction will depend on what defenses show once the season starts, but he likes the options available to him. Sellers gives South Carolina flexibility, and Briles pointed to the quarterback’s ability to operate in quick game, drop back, the running game, RPO looks and as a runner himself.
“Time will tell. Obviously, defenses will dictate how we want to attack.
We have a quarterback who has all the tools to do whatever we ask him to do, whether that's quick game, drop back, running the football, RPO or him running the football. I think he brings a lot of tools to the table that will allow us to do a lot of things.
I like our skill set with our receivers. Our tight ends are really good.
We've got four guys that can play and then our running backs, there's really not the guy now, but I like the group. I think we've got a talented group that's very hungry and they're going to push each other.
The offensive line, coach Clements and coach smith, the way those guys are coaching them, they know what they have to do.”
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LaNorris Sellers Isnt South Carolinas Only New Voice This Season
LaNorris Sellers is back as South Carolinas lone returning captain, and the quarterback is naturally expected to be the face of the program again as the Gamecocks move deeper into the season. But the leadership picture around him looks different this fall, with the coaching staff pointing to a growing group of players who are beginning to speak up and set the tone on both sides of the ball.
On defense, Gabe Brownlow-Dindy, Gerald Kilgore, Shawn Murphy and Peyton Williams have drawn notice as emerging voices, while Brady Hunt and Maurice Brown have stood out on offense. The staff believes more leaders will surface as the season goes on, which matters for a team trying to build more than just one clear centerpiece in the locker room. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Has Linebacker Stars But One Camp Concern Lingers
South Carolinas linebacker room enters fall camp in a far better place than most groups on a defense still sorting through depth chart questions. When practice begins Aug. 7, the Gamecocks will lean on three experienced starters in Justin Okoronkwo, Fred Johnson and Shawn Murphy, giving the staff a seasoned core as it starts shaping the roster for the Sept. 5 opener against Kent State.
The bigger issue is what comes after that top trio, and that is where camp will carry real weight. The staff is giving younger players a long look to see who can grow into useful depth and offer the kind of versatility a defense needs over the course of a season, with AJ Holloway, Jamian Risher Jr. and Donovan Darden all in the mix to make their case. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Has A Linebacker Battle That Could Matter Fast
South Carolinas linebacker room looks set up with a familiar core heading into camp, but the real intrigue is in how the depth chart sorts itself out behind the top three returners. Defensive coordinator Clayton White has pointed to Jamian Risher as the current front-runner for the fourth spot, a nod to both his experience and his grasp of the defense as the Gamecocks prepare to open preseason work.
August 7 brings the start of camp, and the early practices will give a first look at how firm that pecking order really is. With the top of the room already in place, the fourth linebacker job feels like one of those roles that can shape special teams, rotations and, eventually, snaps that matter when the season starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]