10 top candidates for South Carolina football breakout players in 2025
South Carolina’s football program has big aspirations for the 2025 season.
The key to getting there: big-time performances from high-ceiling players.
The Gamecocks have a smattering of players, almost at every spot, with the ability and potential to deliver high-end play. Some are fighting for starting jobs, some are known key players.
And they are all guys who have the ability to make large jumps that could have big impacts on South Carolina’s fortunes.
Quarterback: LaNorris Sellers
In some ways, maybe this spot could go to one of the talents fighting for a backup spot, but the fortunes of this team in large part hinge on how close Sellers can get to superstardom. As a first-year starter at age 19, he threw for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also posting 674 rushing yards and seven scores.
He’ll have a new offensive coordinator (Mike Shula), so there will be some changes. But if he can come close to matching the step he took last season, he could be one of the best quarterbacks the program has had.
Running back: Rahsul Faison
The transfer tailback is still fighting for eligibility after a long and traveled career. But he showed quickness and burst at Utah State, running for 1,800 yards the past two years, and impressed in his first spring on campus.
He’s a player who could anchor the post-Rocket Sanders running game. It will also be worth keeping an eye on well-built freshman Matthew Fuller (5-foot-11, 220 pounds), who has shown some pop but needs to hone his techniques for the college game.
Wide receiver: Nyck Harbor
In many seasons, Mazeo Bennett would be a top candidate as a well-rated recruit who was an instant impact freshman. But Harbor, with his pure physical ceiling, stands out most as a player who could really take off.
Through 2024, his development as a pure wide receiver (not just long-striding athlete) was readily apparent. He looked like someone a year away from being big-time. If there’s another step in there, he could be in the All-SEC mix, and that would be a big boost for the Gamecocks passing attack.
Tight end: Michael Smith
Kentucky transfer Jordan Dingle brings some stability to the position, but Smith is the key to the group’s ceiling. He’s already done something pretty impressive, becoming a rotation tight end as a true freshman.
But there’s likely more play-making ability in that athletic 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame. A lot of snaps are coming open with Josh Simon moving on to the NFL, and Smith has the potential to be a higher-impact player in Year 2.
Offensive line: Josiah Thompson
Thompson has already done something basically unheard of, becoming a true freshman starting tackle in the SEC. He was solid enough in Year 1, but considering his prodigious talent at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, there’s more to unlock there.
If he can take a step to become a top-third-of-the-SEC offensive tackle, it would deliver some of the best tackle play the Gamecocks have had in recent memory. Issues on the outside have been a consistent factor in holding the South Carolina offense back for years.
Tackle-turned-guard Tree Babalade could also be a key as he tries to translate his physical talents to a new spot.
Defensive end: Dylan Stewart
Yes, Stewart was a revelation and frankly a pass-rushing beast as a true freshman, but it’s almost scary to think of what he might be able to bring next. Simply put, he showed the potential to be one of the best pass rushers in the country, possibly better than All-American Kyle Kennard.
A step like that could be crucial for a defense that lost a large amount of talent off the 2024 squad. You know what helps a defense that’s retooling? A top-grade pass rusher wrecking pockets again and again.
Defensive tackle: Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy
This is not only a question of talent that could raise the ceiling of the defense, but also a player at a crucial spot. The Gamecocks lost three NFL-quality defensive tackles, and it’s a spot where any talent is in high demand.
Brownlow-Dindy didn’t play much at Texas A&M, but he was at one point a top-15 national recruit and impressed during the spring for USC. If he can unlock some of that ability, it would go a long way to shoring up a crucial spot.
Linebacker: Fred Johnson
The Gamecocks landed some key transfer talent, hoping to unlock players who had smaller roles at big-name schools. But the key player here might be the one already on campus.
Johnson had generated some buzz as he learned the ropes in the Gamecocks’ deep linebacker room last season. He’s big at 6-foot-3, 244 pounds and has a reputation for being fast and disruptive. If he can translate that to a bigger role, he could make the Gamecocks defense that much more potent.
Corner: Judge Collier
Each of the past three seasons, a solid No. 2 corner has stepped up to be a pretty good No. 1. Coming off 28 tackles and eight pass breakups at 6-foot-2, Collier is set to step into the No. 1 spot left by O’Donnell Fortune.
He will likely be rotating with hard-hitter Vicari Swain and N.C. State transfer Brandon Cisse. If all three are functional SEC corners, the coaching staff could have some flexibility with safety Jalon Kilgore in the slot.
Safety: Peyton Williams
A secondary can’t have a weak link and be successful. Williams is first in line to step in and fill that spot. The hard-hitting Texan hasn’t been able to break into the rotation with DQ Smith, Jalon Kilgore and Nick Emmanwori, but when he played he seemed to hold his own.
Kilgore probably has the highest ceiling of the group, but a solid back line is often about floor, and Williams’ ability is key to that.
This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "10 top candidates for South Carolina football breakout players in 2025."