Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line take a step forward in 2025?
One could argue that the best stat to judge an offensive line by is simple: Wins.
Good football teams are usually backed by solid offensive lines. Bad football teams are often plagued by a wall that can’t hold anyone back.
Take, for example, South Carolina in 2023. The Gamecocks seemingly had plenty of talent. Spencer Rattler was back at quarterback. Xavier Legette became a 1,000-yard receiver. And yet the Gamecocks’ offense too often looked like a car in quicksand. On more than one occasion, a Carolina first down drew sarcastic applause.
And much of the blame — perhaps rightfully so — fell on the offensive line. So often, Rattler would catch the snap and just begin running for his life, trying to make something happen. The Gamecocks finished 5-7 after giving up 41 sacks. The talk of the offseason revolved around what the heck the Gamecocks were going to do to fix the O-line.
A year later, few mention South Carolina’s offensive line. Is it a question mark heading into 2025? Sure. Is it dominating the narrative? Absolutely not.
That might be odd to some because, well, South Carolina gave up the exact number of sacks in 2024 (41) as it did in 2023 — granted, the ‘24 squad played in a bowl game. Heck, the ‘24 team allowed 96 tackles for loss, four more than the year before. Even more: The 2023 Carolina OL at least had injuries to blame. Last season’s O-line was almost improbably healthy.
And yet it felt like the Gamecocks were much better in the trenches. Was that because LaNorris Sellers escaped so many sacks and often turned poor protection into highlights? Or was it that South Carolina won nine games and, well, there wasn’t much to complain about?
It’s hard to say.
But even looking at Pro Football Focus — which, to be fair, has been criticized by OL coaches for not fairly evaluating the position — the top-two-ranked Gamecocks, Torricelli Simpkins III and Vershon Lee, have graduated. The top returner is right tackle Cason Henry, who was graded as the 65th-best offensive lineman in the SEC last season.
But there should be reason for optimism outside of simply, “Well, it can’t get worse.”
Both Henry and left tackle Josiah Thompson — starting as a true freshman — improved throughout the season and now have an entire year of starting experience to lean on. The Gamecocks, too, loaded up their interior with transfers — namely center Boaz Stanley (Troy) as well as guards Rodney Newsome Jr. (Western Kentucky) and Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest).
What South Carolina has to hope for in 2025, though, is that its recruiting finally comes to fruition. That former high-rated prospects like Tree Babalade and Markee Anderson and Trovon Baugh are able to contribute even more. That maybe, like Thompson was last year, one of USC’s four-star freshmen — Shedrick Sarratt Jr. and Damola Ajidahun — are so dominant immediately that they force their way on the field. That the guys who have already found starting roles — Henry and Thompson — become elite.
The Gamecocks have been stockpiling offensive line talent for a few years now. At some point, the dividends are going to come. Maybe that starts in 2025.
25 QUESTIONS FOR THE 2025 SEASON:
No. 25 — What South Carolina positions have the most question marks heading into season?
No. 24 — A Gamecocks victory over Va. Tech would be biggest season-opening win since when?
No. 23 — How will South Carolina’s QB room shake out in 2025 and beyond?
No. 22 — If USC beat Bama or LSU in ’24, would national conversation be different right now?
No. 21 — Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line take a step forward in 2025?
No. 20 — What former South Carolina football player will get his jersey retired next?
No. 19 — Can South Carolina get to the LSU game undefeated?
No. 18 — Will Fred Johnson be South Carolina’s next great LB?
No. 17 — What’s the most important stretch in USC’s 2025 schedule?
No. 16 — Can South Carolina’s defense stay elite despite all its roster turnover?
No. 15 — What South Carolina school records could be broken in 2025?
No. 14 — What’s the ceiling for USC’s running backs, with or without Rahsul Faison?
No. 13 — Can South Carolina’s special teams get back to Beamer Ball standard?
No. 12 — Have Gamecocks found right balance of high school football talent, transfers?
No. 11 — How will Shane Beamer go viral this year with South Carolina?
No. 10 — Is South Carolina too young at wide receiver?
No. 9 — Is this South Carolina’s easiest schedule in the Shane Beamer era?
No. 8 — Will there be noticeable changes in Mike Shula’s offense at South Carolina?
No. 7 — Can South Carolina football stay relatively healthy again in 2025?
No. 6 — Is this the last year for Williams-Brice Stadium as we know it?
No. 5 — What does a path to the playoff look like for South Carolina?
No. 4 — What happens if South Carolina football is no longer an underdog?
No. 3 — How would a 10-win season in 2025 shape Shane Beamer’s legacy in Columbia?
No. 2 — Can Dylan Stewart have a better season than Jadeveon Clowney did in 2012?
No. 1 — Can LaNorris Sellers become the best QB in South Carolina history?
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
