Gamecocks Aim for Turnaround at Home | South Carolina Gamecocks Football News

South Carolina Gamecocks kick off their 2026 season with a high-stakes home opener against Kent State, favored to win by over 30 points. After a disappointing 4-8 campaign last year, the team is focused on getting quarterback LaNorris Sellers comfortable early—after taking 42 sacks in ’25—under new OC Kendal Briles. The offense will lean on Nyck Harbor but also spread the ball to DJ Black, Mazeo Bennett Jr., Lex Cyrus, and Nitro Tuggle, while running backs Jabree Coleman and Christian Clark aim to balance the attack. Defensively, without star EDGE Dylan Stewart, Caleb Herring, Anthony Addison, and linemen Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy and Tomiwa Durojaiye must deliver a strong pass rush against Kent State’s QB, who surrendered 27 sacks last year. With head coach Shane Beamer entering his sixth season with a 33-30 record, this game is a critical step toward turning things around for the Gamecocks. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/1a2af6cd9597ca45