South Carolina is five days from opening preseason camp, and the focus is already turning toward what the Gamecocks can piece together for 2026 after a rough finish last season. Shane Beamer is entering his sixth year in charge, and while expectations were heavy a year ago, the program heads into this camp with far less outside buzz about contending in the SEC.
A few of the most interesting questions are already easy to spot, starting with the newcomers who could carve out roles right away. On defense, Kosci Barnes looks like the freshman to watch.
Judge Collier and Vicari Swain appear locked in as the top two corners, but South Carolina usually plays three corners, and that third job feels open for a young player to grab. Barnes, who enrolled in January, seems to have the inside track.
Quay'Sheed Scott and Triston Lewis are in the mix too, but Barnes has the size and physical style Torrian Gray likes, along with the work ethic and talent to get meaningful snaps early.
Another player who needs to turn promise into production is linebacker Fred Johnson. He’s entering year three after contributing as a freshman and starting every game last season, but the numbers still don’t match the reputation.
Over two seasons, he has one sack, one interception, no forced fumbles and 3.5 tackles for loss. That’s not enough for a linebacker who’s held in high regard around the program.
Beamer recently said Johnson, along with the other two veteran linebackers, is having "an elite summer," and now that has to show up once the games begin.
There’s also plenty of curiosity around what Kendal Briles will actually build on offense. The broad outline is clear enough: three receivers, one tight end, one running back, plenty of quick tempo and a heavy dose of RPO football.
The tight end should be used all over the field, and the offensive line will have to hold up for the whole thing to work. Briles brings a decade of experience as an offensive coordinator and play-caller, including three seasons in the SEC, so he’s not exactly a mystery.
The real issue is how quickly the line comes together, even with quarterback talent and other weapons available.
That’s where the biggest reason for optimism lives: the offensive line has been completely overhauled. First-year line coach Randy Clements inherited a group that needed major surgery, and that’s what it got.
South Carolina brought in 14 new players and still has a couple of key returners in the room. The group has both youth and experience, and the transfers combined have nearly 300 college games under their belts, with plenty of starts mixed in.
Not every addition has been consistently elite, but Clements had most of the room in place back in January, giving him time to figure out who can really handle SEC football. With more than 20 offensive linemen on the roster, the Gamecocks at least have numbers and enough options to build something workable.
One of the cleaner bets on the roster is Dylan Stewart leading the team in tackles for loss. That isn’t exactly a wild call, since Stewart already led South Carolina with 12.0 TFLs last season and was second on the team the year before with 10.5 behind Kyle Kennard’s 15.5.
The only real wrinkle is his health and when he’ll be available, since there’s no firm timeline yet on when he’ll be back to full game-wrecking form. The more interesting race may be for second place in that category.
Bam Martin-Scott posted 9.0 TFLs in 2024 and Demetrius Knight Jr. had 8.0, so one of the linebackers could get in the mix again. A freshman like Julian Walker could also emerge.
The safest pick behind Stewart, though, might be Caleb Herring.
In Other News...
Clemson Let A Playmaker Walk And It Still Raises Questions
Clemsons secondary took a notable hit in January when Ricardo Jones left for Vanderbilt, a move that still lingers because of what he meant to the Tigers defense a season ago. Jones led Clemson with six interceptions in 13 games, and his ability to make plays on the ball made him one of the more disruptive defensive backs in the ACC, even as Clemson moved quickly to patch the hole with transfer safeties Jerome Carter III and Corey Myrick.
Now at Vanderbilt, Jones is already drawing notice from within the program, with coach Clark Lea and defensive tackle Issa Ouattara both pointing to the impact he has made. For South Carolina fans keeping an eye on Clemson's roster churn, it is another reminder that playmakers can leave a bigger void than the depth chart suggests, especially when a defender has a knack for changing games at the back end. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Camp Will Decide Who Really Helps LaNorris Sellers
South Carolina heads into preseason camp with plenty of attention on the offense, and the list of names worth tracking is longer than just LaNorris Sellers and Nyck Harbor. The quarterback is the obvious focal point, but the Gamecocks are also sorting through the rest of the roster to see which newcomers and returners can carve out real roles as the season approaches. DJ Black, Darius Gray and Jayden Gibson are among the players drawing notice for what they might add in 2026, giving this camp a longer view than the usual August competition.
The challenge for the staff is figuring out which of those pieces can actually help Sellers when the games start to matter. Coaches and players have already pointed to the skills and readiness of several offensive options, but camp is where promise turns into proof, especially for a group still trying to define its pecking order. For South Carolina, the next few weeks are less about hype than about identifying who can handle the work and make life easier for the quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Jadeveon Clowney Just Added Another Chapter To South Carolina's Legacy
Jadeveon Clowney is headed back to Houston on a one-year deal, reuniting with the franchise that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2014. For South Carolina fans, it is another reminder of how much the Gamecocks modern football identity still travels through Clowney, whose name remains tied to one of the most influential careers the program has produced.
Clowney spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys, where he led the team with 8.5 sacks, and he has bounced across multiple NFL stops since leaving Houston in 2019. Even now, he still carries several South Carolina records, and every new move adds another layer to a pro career that keeps sending attention back to Columbia, even when the next stop is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]