Gamecocks head to Atlanta for SEC Football Media Days

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Gamecocks are headed to Atlanta, GA this week for the annual SEC Football Media Days and they hope to return again in December for the SEC Championship again then in January for the College Football Playoffs.

Head coach Shane Beamer, starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, defensive lineman Nick Barrett and senior safety DQ Smith will represent South Carolina this year. They finished as one of the hottest teams in the country in 2024 and many believed that they should’ve got more consideration for the College Football Playoffs. Despite missing the playoffs, the Gamecocks had five players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and two all-American selections, Sellers and Dylan Stewart. The two might be the best returning players in college football on both sides of the ball.

Sellers will be a preseason favorite for plenty of awards this year such as the Heisman, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, preseason all-American, National Player of the Year favorite, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm favorite and plenty of other offensive awards.

Last season, the Florence, S.C. native was the FWAA National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 while earning SEC Freshman of the Year accolades and third-team All-SEC honors. Sellers completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns while adding 674 yards and seven TDs on the ground.

He is 8-4 as a starting quarterback with a pair of 300-yard passing games and two 100-yard rushing game during his 12 starts.

Smith and Barrett are returning starters that finished 16th overall in total defense last season among FBS schools and fourth overall in the SEC. Opposing teams only averaged 316.6 yards per game against the Gamecocks in 2024.

Barrett has appeared in 39 games over the past four seasons for the Gamecocks, logging 30 tackles. He was limited to just five games a season ago and looks to make a huge impact in his redshirt senior season.

Smith has started 34 of the 37 games in which he has appeared over the past three seasons, which is the most for any player on the defensive side of the ball for South Carolina.

While Coach Beamer is coming off his most successful year in 2024 out of his four seasons so far in Columbia. He has an overall record of 29-22, but went 9-4 last year. Unfortunately, the Gamecocks fell short in their bowl game but that still didn’t take away from the momentum his team built coming into the 2025 season. The success on the field has led to off the field as well in recruiting. The Gamecocks had the number 18 overall class in 2025 and currently have the 15th ranked class so far in the 2026 rankings, which includes four star tight end and local product Jamel Howse from Newberry High School.

SEC Football Media Day will begin on Monday, July 14 at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Atlanta.