TAMPA, Fla. - If LaNorris Sellers had to pick one South Carolina player fans should keep on their radar for 2026, he didn’t hesitate long before landing on DJ Black.
That answer may surprise some people, but Black has been around enough programs now to make himself impossible to ignore. He started at South Carolina in 2022 as a former walk-on receiver, spent two years at Limestone, played at UCF in 2025 and then came back to Columbia in January.
"He's put his head down and he's working hard," Sellers said.
Black, listed at 6-2 and 205 pounds, never got into a game for the Gamecocks during his first stint. He did run track while he was there.
At Limestone, he played in 21 games over two seasons and piled up more than 1,100 yards with 14 touchdowns. Then at UCF last season, he caught 22 passes for 273 yards and two scores.
South Carolina’s staff noticed enough to name him Offensive Co-Newcomer of the Spring.
For Sellers, the appeal goes beyond the stat line. He pointed to Black’s blend of traits and the familiarity they already share.
"Speed, size, experience. He's been in college for a while now," Sellers said.
"We had a little bit of chemistry. I don't know if you remember, the spring game clip my freshman year, I threw he pass to him.
And he was my locker mate as well. I know him.
I know what he's about."
Black joins a receiver room that already has several familiar names back, including Nyck Harbor, Mazeo Bennett and Jayden Sellers. South Carolina also added Jayden Gibson and Nitro Tuggle through the portal earlier this year, giving the group even more bodies and more competition.
That depth is exactly what Shane Beamer is watching closely as August approaches.
"All the (wide receiver) competition and depth that we had last year, it's even more so now," Beamer said, "So that's a battle that I'm looking forward to, (watching) it in the fall or watching it in August. We're not going to be able to play 10 to receivers every game, so it's going to be exciting as we get into August to really see how that position group shakes itself out, who steps up and solidifies themselves as being a core member of a wide receiver rotation."
In Other News...
Why South Carolina Fans Are Suddenly Debating This Beamer Hire
Kendal Briles arrived at South Carolina with a reputation for getting offenses moving, and that is exactly why his hire has stirred so much conversation around Columbia. After two seasons at TCU, where his unit produced more than 425 yards and 30 points per game, Briles comes in with the kind of track record that makes a coordinator addition feel bigger than a routine offseason move. Shane Beamer has already voiced optimism about what the scheme can do, and receiver Nyck Harbor has too, which only adds to the sense that this could be a meaningful reset for an offense looking for more consistency.
Greg McElroys praise at SEC Media Days only sharpened the debate, because the former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst framed Briles as one of the offseasons best hires. The appeal is easy to understand: a simpler system, a clearer fit for the personnel, and a chance to get more out of South Carolinas passing game. For fans, the real question is whether that promise shows up quickly enough to matter, and whether Briles can turn the optimism around LaNorris Sellers and the receivers into something more tangible once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Just Landed The Kind Of In-State Bat Fans Want
South Carolina added an in-state piece to its 2026 recruiting class with the commitment of Slaide Burd, a utility player whose path has already taken a few turns. Burd had previously signed with Charleston Southern and later committed to Stetson, but he is now headed to Columbia, where the Gamecocks are getting a versatile player who can help in a hurry and has spent the summer getting game reps in the MLB Draft League.
For South Carolina, the appeal goes beyond just another name in the class. Burd is the kind of flexible defender coaches can move around the diamond, and that sort of roster fit matters for a program trying to build depth while keeping talented local players home. He joins the Gamecocks 2026 group as a player expected to contribute quickly, even if the full shape of his role is still left to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Nyck Harbor Gave Gamecocks Fans A Stephen Garcia Moment To Cherish
South Carolina fans got a reminder this week that the Gamecock family still shows up in moments that matter. At SEC Media Days, Nyck Harbor shared a touching exchange with former quarterback Stephen Garcia, who is battling Stage 4 colorectal cancer and has been open about the toll of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Garcia, long a familiar and complicated figure in Columbia, has also been encouraged by the support pouring in from the community and beyond, including donations to a GoFundMe page started by his wife.
Garcia said the response has reached former teammates, fans and even people outside the program, a sign of how wide the circle has grown around him. He also noted that his next stretch of treatment is still ahead, with surgery part of the road to come, but the outpouring around him has already become its own kind of lift for a former Gamecock who once gave this fan base plenty to remember. [Read more 🡒]