South Carolina football fans are hopeful that 2026 will serve as an opportunity for the Gamecocks to bounce back from an underachieving 2025 season.
Despite high preseason expectations, USC finished 4-8 last fall. As a result, a team that was all over the preseason conversations last offseason is now somewhat of an afterthought for many prognosticators leading up to Shane Beamer’s sixth year in Columbia.
However, ESPN’s Greg McElroy is not one who is overlooking South Carolina. In fact, the former Alabama and NFL quarterback recently labeled the Gamecocks as a “sleeper team” to compete for a 2026 College Football Playoff berth.
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McElroy picked South Carolina as one of ten teams that he feels are not talked about enough as potential contenders. He also provided a clear definition for “sleeper team” to aid in this discussion.
“A real sleeper team is one that is remarkably underdiscussed relative to their ceiling,” McElroy said. He added that “quarterback clarity,” “identity,” and “scheduling path” are the three main criteria used to determine a team’s ceiling.
Based on those criteria, McElroy’s Carolina inclusion makes some sense.
With LaNorris Sellers at the helm, the Gamecocks have “quarterback clarity.” “Identity” can be tough to nail down for South Carolina, but the defense is going to fight for takeaways, and new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has said they will build the offense around what Sellers does well; that sounds like having an identity. Identifying the “scheduling path” can be difficult for a team that plays the gauntlet set before the 2026 Gamecocks, but the year starts with three very winnable games that can give USC some confidence the rest of the way.
There is one of McElroy’s criteria that he values over the others. It is also one that gives him confidence in the Gamecocks. As a former quarterback, McElroy believes strong QB play is the most important part of a good team.
“South Carolina is a sleeper,” he said, “because they have the single most important ingredient for an incredible run. That is a returning, high-ceiling quarterback. LaNorris Sellers is back for 2026.”
Adding to his bullish feelings on USC, McElroy said he likes what Shane Beamer did with his staff this offseason.
“Some of the changes within the coaching staff have me feeling pretty optimistic about what LaNorris Sellers might be able to do this year,” McElroy said.
He explained that Kendal Briles will have the chance to “unlock” some things in Sellers’ game that will allow him to return to the form he held down the stretch of his All-SEC 2024 season. Bringing in new offensive line coach Randy Clements can only help things, as well.
With those upgrades, “[Sellers] can take the game over on any given week,” McElroy stated.