Depth Chart Thursday: Projecting the Gamecocks' 2026 Starters
A look at how South Carolina's revamped roster shakes out under Shane Beamer and new OC Kendal Briles.
As the Spring Ball & Recruiting 2026 season continues, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer faces a critical year. Following a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2025 and the scrapping of the traditional spring game due to Williams-Brice Stadium renovations, the Gamecocks have relied heavily on spring practices to forge their depth chart. With new Offensive Coordinator Kendal Briles taking the reins, let's examine the projected starters and key battles for South Carolina.
Quarterback: The Sellers Show
There is no controversy at the top of the depth chart: LaNorris Sellers is firmly entrenched as QB1. Returning for his redshirt junior season, Sellers is being touted as a Heisman candidate and a premier 2027 NFL Draft prospect. The battle lies in the backup spots, where Cutter Woods, Landon Duckworth, and recent transfer Lucian Anderson III are vying for the crucial QB2 role.
Offensive Weapons and Trenches
Briles' revamped offense will feature a powerful mix of returning talent and portal additions. Out wide, returning starters Nyck Harbor and tight end Brady Hunt provide massive targets for Sellers. They are joined by incoming transfer Nitro Tuggle, who looks to make an immediate impact after the departure of Vandrevius Jacobs. The offensive line saw a massive overhaul following several portal exits, including Tree Babalade and Ryan Brubaker. Briles and Beamer reloaded via the transfer portal, headlined by elite NC State transfer tackle Jacarrius Peak, who is projected to anchor the line alongside returning starter Josiah Thompson.
Defensive Core
Defensive Coordinator Clayton White has a solid returning core despite the NFL departures of key contributors like Jalon Kilgore and Demon Clowney. The front is bolstered by returning star Dylan Stewart and incoming transfer Caleb Herring. The back seven will heavily feature returning starters Fred Johnson, Justin Okoronkwo, Judge Collier, and Peyton Williams. With the Garnet & Black Spring Fest block party behind them, the Gamecocks are laser-focused on finalizing this depth chart to push for a College Football Playoff berth in Beamer's sixth season.
Published 5 months ago
Staff
Staff writer for SEC Saturday Wire covering college sports.
Process Notes & Methodology
Pipeline: research-first (gemini_3_1_pro) Season: Spring Ball & Recruiting 2026 | Theme: Depth Chart Thursday TeamContext last refreshed: 2026-05-13T01:39:34.544Z Verifier: ✅ PASSED (confidence 0.95) Unverified claims: - Specific positional groupings and assignments, such as Brady Hunt being a 'tight end', Nyck Harbor being 'out wide', Dylan Stewart playing on 'the front', and the quartet of Fred Johnson, Justin Okoronkwo, Judge Collier, and Peyton Williams comprising the 'back seven', are plausible but not explicitly defined in the provided verified facts. Summary: The draft article is highly accurate and aligns perfectly with the provided facts. All mentioned coaches, quarterback depth, incoming and outgoing transfers, NFL departures, returning starters, and contextual storylines (such as the stadium renovations and the 4-8 record in 2025) are completely supported by the verified team context. The only unverified details are specific positional labels for a few returning players. Sources: - https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/football/ - https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/ - https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/ - https://www.on3.com/teams/south-carolina-gamecocks/
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