South Carolina’s 2026 season starts Saturday, and Williams-Brice Stadium will finally have a real game to go with all the offseason noise.
The Gamecocks open against Kent State with Shane Beamer trying to keep a perfect home-opening run going. He’s 5-0 in home openers so far, and South Carolina has been strong in season openers overall, going 88-40-4 as a program.
“Our players are excited, coaches are excited, fans are excited. Can’t wait to get going,” Beamer said.
The betting market expects the Gamecocks to handle business in a big way. South Carolina opened as a 33.5-point favorite at DraftKings, and that number has climbed to 35.5.
FanDuel and MGM list the Gamecocks as 36.5-point favorites. ESPN Analytics gives South Carolina a 98.1% chance to beat Kent State.
There are also some notable absences for the opener. South Carolina will be without offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak and edge rusher Dylan Stewart.
Peak has been dealing with a knee injury suffered in February, which kept him out of spring practice. Stewart’s back injury dates to last season.
Beamer said Tuesday the two are getting “closer and closer” to being ready.
The weather could be a factor too, and not a subtle one. Columbia is expected to hit 98 degrees, with a “real feel” temperature of 112. AccuWeather warned that people outside for long stretches could face “danger of dehydration and heatstroke if outside for extended periods of time.”
On the field, the biggest question is what South Carolina’s offense looks like under new coordinator Kendal Briles. Beamer’s move to bring him in has been praised as one of the offseason’s best, and the expectation is that the Gamecocks should look sharper after finishing near the bottom of the SEC in several offensive categories last season. The real test is whether that shows up right away.
Up front, South Carolina has rebuilt its offensive line after a rough 2025 season that included 43 sacks allowed. The Gamecocks have given up at least 40 sacks in each of the last three seasons. Beamer said earlier this week he was “very close” to settling on a starting five, and he has stressed that he wants eight or nine linemen ready to start or rotate in.
Defensively, Clayton White brings back 17 letter-winners from last year’s group. The front seven looks like the strength of the unit, helped by a trio of standout linebackers. South Carolina also has some returning starters mixed in with younger players who haven’t played much yet, and their development will matter for how the defense performs this season.
A few players stand out as ones to keep an eye on. LaNorris Sellers enters his third year as South Carolina’s starter.
The Florence native came into 2025 with Heisman buzz but finished with 2,700 total yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The question now is whether a new coordinator gets him moving in the right direction.
Nyck Harbor is another key name. The wide receiver led the Gamecocks in 2025 with 618 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and he has spoken highly of Briles’ system this offseason, saying it gives the offense more freedom. That setup could lead to even more production from the senior.
Kent State brings a productive quarterback of its own in Dru DeShields. He started 11 games last season, completed 56.7% of his passes and threw for 2,030 yards with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His 14.93 yards per completion ranked first in the Mid-American Conference and third nationally.
The Golden Flashes also have a dangerous return man in Da’Realyst Clark. He was the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2025 after piling up 16 kick returns for 452 yards and two touchdowns. His 28.3-yard average return ranked fourth in the country, and he earned Walter Camp Preseason All-American First Team honors as a kick returner this summer.
South Carolina’s kickoff against Kent State is set for 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network. The rest of the Gamecocks’ 2026 schedule includes Towson on Sept.
12, Mississippi State on Sept. 19, Alabama on Sept.
26, Kentucky on Oct. 3, Florida on Oct.
10, Tennessee on Oct. 24, Oklahoma on Oct.
31, Texas A&M on Nov. 7, Arkansas on Nov.
14, Georgia on Nov. 21 and Clemson on Nov. 28.
In Other News...
Gamecock Fans Need This Williams-Brice Heads Up Before Saturday
South Carolina fans heading to Williams-Brice Stadium for Saturdays season opener against Kent State are getting a fresh batch of game-day reminders, and there are a few changes worth knowing before everyone starts making the trip. The school has rolled out updated information on digital ticket requirements, parking and traffic flow, plus new details on stadium entry and how fans can move around the venue while construction continues around parts of the facility.
There are also some added conveniences in place, including bottle-filling stations and phone charging options, along with the usual Gamecock Walk plans that will shape the pregame scene. Some of the work around the stadium will keep going through the season, though not on game days, and certain areas are still projected to remain under development until 2027, so fans will be navigating a game-day setup that looks a little different for now. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Just Added A New Twist To Its Kicker Battle
South Carolinas special teams picture got a little more interesting with the addition of Houston transfer Ethan Sanchez, who arrived on the roster shortly before the 2026 season. Sanchez brings real experience to the mix, and his rsum stands out immediately after he was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist last season, giving the Gamecocks another proven leg as they sort through one of the quieter but still important battles on the roster.
Sanchez is also eligible to return for a fifth year because of a recent court ruling, which adds another layer to his case as he competes for the starting job. For South Carolina, the timing matters because the kicker spot remains unsettled, and Sanchez now steps into a competition that already includes other players vying to handle those duties when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas New Offense Puts LaNorris Sellers Under An Early Spotlight
South Carolina is getting ready to debut a new offense under offensive coordinator Kendal Briles in the season opener against Kent State, and the early attention is already landing on the details that will shape how smooth that transition looks. The biggest questions are straightforward enough: how quickly the Gamecocks want to play, who settles into the starting spots up front, and how the new approach changes the rhythm of an offense that will be under a fresh set of eyes from the first snap.
LaNorris Sellers sits at the center of it all, with his confidence and decision-making among the key things the staff will be watching as the system comes to life. The running back rotation is also part of the picture, and with coaches still working through preseason expectations, theres still plenty to learn about how Briles wants to piece the offense together when the season finally starts to count. [Read more 🡒]