South Carolina’s women were the easy call at the top of the SEC preseason media poll, and the league’s men landed in a spot the Gamecocks know all too well: last.
The women, fresh off a run that included the last five SEC regular-season titles and a trip to their third straight national championship game, were picked to win the league again Monday. If they do it, it would be South Carolina’s 11th SEC title overall. The program has already stacked 10 in the last 13 seasons.
That talent base is still loaded. Forward Joyce Edwards, guard Tessa Johnson and forward Chloe Kitts all made the preseason All-SEC squad, with Edwards landing on the first team. Edwards also received one vote for Preseason SEC Player of the Year, though Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes was the runaway choice after averaging more than 30 points per league game last season.
South Carolina’s dominance wasn’t limited to the SEC poll. The Gamecocks were a unanimous pick to win the league in USA Today’s preseason poll, with Edwards again named a first-teamer. Johnson and Kitts were placed on the second team there, alongside LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley and Ole Miss’ Talaysia Cooper, both of whom began their careers at South Carolina.
The preseason buzz around Dawn Staley’s team isn’t close to done. The first Associated Press Top 25 poll of the season comes out at noon on Oct. 20, and South Carolina is considered a strong favorite to open at No. 1.
Staley, Edwards, Kitts and Jordan Lee will represent USC at SEC Tipoff on Tuesday.
The women’s predicted order of finish put Texas second, followed by LSU, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Auburn and Arkansas.
Blakes was voted Preseason Player of the Year, and the preseason first team also included Madison Booker of Texas, Clara Strack of Kentucky and Mikaylah Williams of LSU.
On the men’s side, South Carolina got no lift at all in the preseason poll. The Gamecocks were slotted 16th, the bottom of the league, a familiar place after finishing last and next-to-last over the past two seasons.
That outcome wasn’t a major shock, but it still came with a wrinkle: some around the league expected USC to be placed ahead of LSU, which has not yet released a full eligible roster. Instead, the Gamecocks stayed stuck at the back of the pack.
It’s a big year for Lamont Paris, who was given support from athletic director Jeremiah Donati last season after back-to-back rough finishes following a 26-win 2023-24 campaign. The roster is almost entirely new again, just as it was a year ago.
Florida was picked to win the men’s league, with Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama rounding out the top five. Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, LSU and Mississippi State followed before South Carolina at No. 16.
Thomas Haugh of Florida was selected Preseason Player of the Year, and the first-team group also featured Rueben Chinyelu of Florida, Juke Harris of Tennessee, Josh Hubbard of Mississippi State and Tyler Tanner of Vanderbilt.
South Carolina will be represented at SEC Tipoff by Paris and players Cam Heide, Kory Mincy and Jakub Necas.
In Other News...
South Carolina Has One Lingering Injury Concern Before Tennessee
South Carolina came out of the Florida game already juggling its depth chart, with several key players sidelined by injury and cornerback Judge Collier leaving early as well. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Julian Walker, Quay'sheed Scott and Carter Miller were all unavailable, forcing the Gamecocks to work through the kind of next-man-up stretch that can quickly reshape both practice reps and game planning this time of year.
There is at least some good news as Tennessee approaches. Shane Beamer said every injured player except Scott is expected to be available for the matchup, leaving one lingering concern the staff still has to sort through after further testing. For a team trying to steady itself after a physical SEC game, that lone uncertainty is the one injury situation worth watching closest this week. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Beamer May Have Finally Lit A Fire Under LaNorris Sellers
Shane Beamers challenge to LaNorris Sellers seemed designed to jolt the sophomore quarterback out of any comfort zone, and it came at a time when South Carolina needed its offense to show more consistency. Instead of treating the warning as background noise, Sellers answered with one of his best outings of the season in the Gamecocks win over Florida, helping steady an attack that had been looking for a cleaner rhythm.
What stood out most was how controlled Sellers looked. He converted third downs at a strong rate, protected the football and gave South Carolina the kind of efficient quarterback play Beamer has been pushing for, while Pro Football Focus tagged him with an 80.9 offensive grade, one of the better marks among SEC passers that week. For a team trying to climb into a more reliable offensive identity, the timing could hardly be better. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Stewart Gave South Carolina More Than A Breakout Return
Dylan Stewarts return against Florida gave South Carolina exactly what it needed on the field, and a little more besides. The sophomore defensive end finished with five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles in the Gamecocks 38-19 win, a disruptive outing that reminded everyone why his presence changes the shape of the defense when he is right.
Shane Beamer had plenty to point to afterward, praising Stewarts performance and discipline during the game while also noting the way he handled the week in the classroom. For South Carolina, that kind of growth matters almost as much as the splash plays, because Stewarts value is tied not only to what he does off the edge, but to how quickly he keeps building into a steadier force on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]