If you’ve spent any time around Columbia lately, you know the vibe is... complicated. After a 2025 season that honestly felt like a gut punch—finishing 4-8 with a brutal 1-7 stretch in the SEC—the conversation around the south carolina gamecocks football depth chart has shifted from "Who’s starting?" to "Who’s actually staying?"
Shane Beamer is staring down a pivotal 2026. The seat is getting warm, and the fans are restless. But here’s the thing: despite the exodus in the trenches, the "core" that everyone was worried about losing is largely intact. We’re talking about the blue-chip pillars of the program.
The Pillars: Sellers, Harbor, and Stewart
Most people expected a total fire sale. Instead, the Gamecocks managed to lock down their three most important assets.
LaNorris Sellers is back at quarterback. That’s the headline. He was sacked 42 times last year—a stat that makes you wonder how he's still standing—but his decision to return signals a massive belief in the system. He’s the heartbeat of this offense. If he has a clean pocket, he’s a Heisman-level talent. Behind him, the depth is interesting. Air Noland and Cutter Woods are waiting in the wings, but this is 100% Sellers’ team.
Then you have Nyck Harbor. The track star/wide receiver hybrid is running it back for his junior year. He is a walking mismatch. Pair him with Mazeo Bennett Jr., who just confirmed his return via Instagram, and the passing game actually looks... decent? Bennett has been reliable, snagging 40 catches over the last two years. He isn’t flashy, but he moves the chains.
On the other side of the ball, Dylan Stewart is the anchor. Losing a guy like Stewart to the portal would have been a death knell for the defense. He’s one of the few players on this roster who can consistently win a one-on-one at the line of scrimmage in the SEC.
Solving the Trench Crisis (The Portal Plan)
Let’s be real: the offensive line was a disaster in 2025. You can't sugarcoat 3.2 yards per carry and 42 sacks allowed. It was so bad that Lonnie Teasley was let go in October.
The south carolina gamecocks football depth chart took a massive hit here initially, with seven scholarship linemen hitting the portal—including big names like Josiah Thompson (who briefly left then came back) and Tree Babalade. But Beamer didn't sit on his hands. He went and got Jacarrius Peak from NC State.
Peak is the crown jewel of the portal haul. He’s a 6-foot-4, 300-pound tackle who allowed only 5 sacks in nearly 1,000 pass-blocking snaps. He’s built to block for a dual-threat guy like Sellers.
New Faces in the Trenches
- Jacarrius Peak (OT): The presumed starter at left tackle.
- Seth Smith (OT): A veteran transfer from Arizona who brings leadership.
- Dayne Arnett (OT): A Ferris State transfer who can slide inside to guard if needed.
- Zyon Guiles (IOL): An incoming freshman who’s already 290 pounds. He might be forced to play early.
The Defensive Identity Shift
Clayton White’s defense is looking for more "active pass-rush energy," and they might have found it in the Collins brothers. Drew Collins (Arkansas State) and Kelby Collins are coming in to give Stewart some help. Drew had 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2024, showing he can be a situational disrupter.
The linebacker room actually got some great news recently when Justin Okoronkwo and Shawn Murphy decided to stay. Okoronkwo is a tackling machine from Germany who started eight games last year. Having him and Fred Johnson back provides a level of continuity that usually doesn't exist in the portal era.
In the secondary, Jalon Kilgore and DQ Smith are the veterans. Kilgore is arguably the most underrated safety in the conference. He’s always around the ball. The addition of North Carolina product Kosci Barnes at corner adds some much-needed length. Barnes is 6-foot-2 and led his high school to a state title—he’s got that "winner" DNA that Beamer talks about constantly.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2026 Roster
There’s a narrative that South Carolina is just "portal hopping" to survive. It’s not quite that simple. If you look at the 2026 signing class, they are prioritizing "explosive ability."
Take Sequel Patterson. He’s listed as an athlete, but in the Navy All-American Bowl, he was scoring touchdowns and running speed sweeps. The staff sees him as a Percy Harvin-type gadget player. Then there’s Julian Walker, the Dutch Fork product. He’s a riser who dominated the All-American practices.
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The strategy seems to be:
- Keep the elite stars (Sellers, Stewart, Harbor).
- Plug the O-Line holes with proven Power 4 transfers (Peak, Smith).
- Inject the freshman class with pure speed (Patterson, Clark).
Special Teams: A New Foot in Town
We have to talk about the kickers because, well, it’s South Carolina and special teams matter here. William Joyce is gone. In steps Upton Bellenfant from Texas Tech. He’s a career 85% kicker. For an offense that struggled to finish drives last year, Bellenfant might be the most "productive" addition on the entire south carolina gamecocks football depth chart.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 season is basically a referendum on the Shane Beamer era. He has the quarterback. He has the edge rusher. He has the new-look offensive line.
If you're looking for where this team stands, watch the spring game closely. Specifically, watch how the rotation at running back shakes out. With Rahsul Faison returning as a graduate student, he’s the lead dog, but keep an eye on Ohio State transfer Sam Williams-Dixon. He’s 210 pounds and runs with a chip on his shoulder. He might be the goal-line hammer this team lacked last year.
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Actionable Insights for Fans
- Track the O-Line Cohesion: The starting five likely won't be set until late August. Watch the "guard" battle between Arnett and Sarratt.
- Monitor the WR Depth: Beyond Harbor and Bennett, someone has to step up. Look for Nitro Tuggle (Purdue transfer) to make an early impact.
- Defensive Rotation: Clayton White likes to rotate heavily. Expect to see a lot of Anthony Addison and Dylan Stewart swapping sides to keep the pass rush fresh.
The Gamecocks aren't rebuilding; they are "retooling" under high pressure. Whether Jacarrius Peak can keep LaNorris Sellers upright will likely decide if 2026 is a bounce-back year or the end of an era.