The South Carolina Gamecocks have failed to reach the lofty expectations placed on them at the beginning of the 2025 season after coming into the year ranked as the No, 13 team in the preseason AP poll. Despite this, Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer remains incredibly confident that the state of the program is still at a great place.
Beamer’s team has been tested in ways very few programs around the country have this year. Particularly, South Carolina’s last five games have all come against teams ranked inside the Top 15 when they took the field.
Unfortunately, these ranked matchups over the past five weeks, which have all resulted in losses, have consistently proven that the Gamecocks are certainly a step below the elite teams in the SEC.
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Even though South Carolina sits at 3-7 on the year, Beamer believes that things will turn around in a hurry for his team in 2026. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Beamer claimed that his team will be contending for a CFP spot this time next season.
“We’re not there right now, but I do know next year at this time, we’re going to be sitting here on this Tuesday night watching the playoff rankings to see where we are in ranking show,” Beamer said on Tuesday. “And we’re going to be firmly in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth next year at this time. We’re all sick about this feeling, but we’re not going to go through this thing again, and we’re going to finish this season out the right way. And then the minute that thing hits zero on the clock after the Thanksgiving Weekend game (vs. Clemson), we’re full speed ahead on 2026.”
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It’s natural for any coach to be confident in their team’s abilities. That being said, it sure seems like Beamer is a bit unrealistic with just how bullish he is about his team moving forward.
There is notably one giant obstacle that may very well be in Beamer’s way to creating a team that contends for a CFP spot in 2026. Star quarterback LaNorris Sellers could very well declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, or potentially transfer elsewhere in light of the team’s poor 2025 campaign.
The Gamecocks have thrived under Beamer. Just a season ago, South Carolina nearly reached the CFP after finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record. So at the very least, Beamer has proven to be a good enough coach to contend in the right circumstances.
However, given what we have seen from South Carolina in 2025 and the changes that could be coming for his team next year, the Gamecocks may have a longer road back to CFP contention than Beamer is willing to admit.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.