Texas A&M heads into Saturday’s matchup at Williams-Brice Stadium already dealing with more than just a tough SEC road test.
The Aggies are trying to snap a conference-game skid and stop a two-game losing streak in Columbia, but they’ll do it against a No. 21 South Carolina team that has already taken down a highly ranked Tennessee squad and beaten Oklahoma in Norman. Texas A&M is still searching for its footing five games into conference play, and the Gamecocks have another battle brewing with the Aggies before kickoff.
According to Chad Simmons of Rivals, South Carolina is working to pull away Texas A&M commit Frederick Ards III, an edge rusher who remains committed to the Aggies for now. National Signing Day is still more than a month out, and the Gamecocks are making their push.
Ards, a senior at Jones High School in Orlando, is a four-star prospect ranked by 247Sports as the No. 75 player in the 2027 class and the No. 9 player in Florida. His offer list includes Alabama, Ole Miss, Miami and Notre Dame, among others.
He pledged to Texas A&M in June and has since split unofficial visits between College Station and Columbia, along with a visit to Florida, his home school. His latest trip to South Carolina came on October 24, when the Gamecocks beat Tennessee on a game-winning field goal as time expired. His most recent visit to Texas A&M was October 3, when the Aggies beat Arkansas for their fifth straight win.
On the field, Ards put together a big junior season in 2025, finishing with 80 total tackles, 13 for loss, 11 sacks and a forced fumble. He has also shown off his strength in the shot put, posting a 41'6" throw in April.
If Ards does end up choosing Columbia, Shane Beamer could have his next Dylan Stewart. For Mike Elko, the focus is on keeping the Aggie defense stocked and pushing it back toward the reputation it once had as one of the nation’s most dangerous units.
Texas A&M and South Carolina are set to kick off Saturday at 2:00 PM on ESPN.
In Other News...
Charleston Southern Showed Something South Carolina Fans Will Want To Track
Charleston Southern handled Columbia International University 86-49 on Nov. 5, and the result offered a useful early-season snapshot for South Carolina fans keeping an eye on regional opponents. Anthony Ruffolo led the way with 31 points, while Lase Olalere added 14 points and 16 rebounds in a game that never really got away from Charleston Southern once it settled in.
The Buccaneers have now won all 7 meetings with Columbia International, a reminder of how comfortably they have controlled that matchup. Their next test comes Nov. 10 at Wake Forest, which should provide a much clearer read on where this team stands as the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Punting Edge Is Becoming A Bigger Story Than Expected
South Carolinas special teams quietly have become one of the steadier parts of the operation, and Mason Love is a big reason why. The Gamecocks punter has landed on the Ray Guy Award Midseason Watch List, putting him in the mix for the honor that goes to the nations top FBS punter after a strong start to the season.
Love has punted 24 times for 1,037 yards and is averaging 43.2 yards per kick, with nine punts landing inside the 20 and five traveling more than 50 yards. The next checkpoint comes Nov. 13, when semifinalists are announced, before the award winner is revealed during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 11. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A&M With More Than Bowl Eligibility At Stake
South Carolina heads into its matchup with Texas A&M riding a three-game winning streak, and the timing gives this one a little extra weight. A win would not only extend the run, it would also push the Gamecocks into bowl eligibility, a meaningful marker after a season that has started to find its footing. The recent stretch has changed the feel around the team, and now the next step comes against an opponent that has already been part of the conversation for a while.
Shane Beamers earlier prediction about the Gamecocks playoff prospects has added another layer to the week, even if the immediate task is much more straightforward. There is also the memory of last years game against Texas A&M, which gives South Carolina a little added motivation as it tries to keep building on its momentum. For a team that has finally put together some positive results, this is the kind of late-season game that can shape how the rest of the year is remembered. [Read more 🡒]