South Carolina knows the obvious answer at the top of its leadership chart: LaNorris Sellers.
The returning captain and starting quarterback is the face of the room, the player everyone naturally looks to when the Gamecocks need a voice. Shane Beamer said he’s been talking with Sellers this offseason about leaning into that responsibility without losing himself.
“‘Everybody’s looking to you. So don’t change who you are.
Be who you are,’” Beamer described as a conversation he’s had with Sellers this offseason. “‘You're a three-time captain, chance to be a three-year starting quarterback, leader of the team.
You really need to embrace that role in your way.’
“So I’ve seen him really work to do that, really grow in that way. And that’s what I’ve been pleased with.”
Sellers will be the one directing huddles and, more often than not, setting the tone in full-team meetings. That comes with the job. But he’s not carrying the load alone.
On the defensive side, Clayton White pointed to four players who have already started to separate themselves as vocal leaders: Gabe Brownlow-Dindy, Gerald Kilgore, Shawn Murphy and Peyton Williams.
“I would say Gabe Brownlow-Dindy has been one that’s stepped up. Gerald Kilgore has stepped up.
Shawn Murphy has stepped up the leadership role, and Peyton Williams,” White said. “Those are the four guys I would say that’s more vocal, that really know what we want.”
White noted that in 2024, transfers Kyle Kennard and Demetrius Knight arrived and quickly established themselves through preparation and their willingness to speak up. This year’s defensive leadership group looks different, but the pattern is familiar: the older hands are doing much of the work early.
That makes sense given where those four are positioned. Brownlow-Dindy is up front, Murphy is at linebacker, and Kilgore and Williams work in the secondary. Each played extensively last season, and all four are projected to be on the two-deep this year, with some possibly starting in Week 1.
On offense, new coordinator Kendal Briles saw a few players stepping into that space during spring practice beyond Sellers.
“It’s probably (Brady Hunt) and (Maurice Brown),” Briles said. “Those guys, they’re strong leaders, just do everything right all the time. You know, (Nyck Harbor) is kind of starting to position himself into that, which has been good.”
Briles also said he wants an offensive lineman or two to emerge as voices for the group. At this point, Nolan Hay and Carter Miller appear to be the “big guys” in that mix.
For now, the leadership picture is still taking shape. Some of it will get clearer once the games start and “the lights turn on.”
Some players are trying to win those roles this season. Others are already building toward the ones they’ll be asked to fill next year, whether they know it yet or not.
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