How South Carolina football’s newest faces performed against Virginia Tech
South Carolina took a lot of new faces on a weekend trip to its season-opening game against Virginia Tech.
The Gamecocks dressed 15 true freshmen in Sunday’s matchup with the Hokies, with six of them seeing action in the 24-11 victory.
Of the six, three were from the highly touted freshman receiving class, which was made up of Donovan Murph, Lex Cyrus, Jordan Gidron, Brian Rowe Jr., Malik Clark and Jayden Sellers.
Murph, Sellers and Rowe Jr. all saw action in the game. Cyrus and Gidron were the only two who didn’t make the 60-member travel list for the game.
Murph, who skipped his senior season in high school to enroll early at USC, saw the most time on the field despite just being 17 years old. The former Irmo High standout was targeted twice in the game, making a 21-yard catch on a slant route.
Murph wasn’t able to enroll early like the others, but he’s made an impact in his few months on campus. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 26 snaps, third most among USC receivers behind Nyck Harbor (50) and Vandrevius Jacobs (31). Rowe Jr. played 18 snaps on Sunday.
“I feel like they did an amazing job just getting lined up, urgency, knowing where they’re at,” junior receiver Nyck Harbor said of the new receivers. “We had a lot of things going on today, but I feel like they just did an amazing job. They’ve been prepared for it.
“Big time opponent, big time game. This is the first time they played with all these people in the crowd. I feel like they did amazing, though. They did amazing.”
Of the other true freshmen, Max Kelley made an impact handling kickoff duties for the Gamecocks. Kelley didn’t arrive at USC until the summer and was involved in a kicking battle with Mason Love and William Joyce. Kelley kicked off five times, with one going for a touchback.
Love handled punting duties against the Hokies, with Joyce winning placekicking duties.
Freshmen weren’t the only new faces making their debut for the Gamecocks, who also brought in 18 transfers in the offseason.
Several of them had big impacts in Sunday’s game, with three — CB Brandon Cisse, guard Rodney Newsom and linebacker Shawn Murphy — making starts. Newsom, a transfer from Western Kentucky, was replaced in the second half by Markee Anderson.
Cisse, Murphy and Alabama transfer Justin Okoronkwo each had four tackles. Cisse, a North Carolina State transfer, had a team-high two pass break-ups and played 70 snaps, second most on defense behind DQ Smith’s 75.
Murphy was on the field for 47 snaps and Okoronkwo 43.
Ball State cornerback transfer Myles Norwood also saw a lot of time, especially after Judge Collier went down in the first quarter with an injury.
“We’re sitting on the plane yesterday and I’m watching Alabama-Florida State, and I’m looking across the aisle, and there’s Sean Murphy and J.O., who were playing for Alabama and Florida State last year. It was ‘Twilight Zone,’ ” USC coach Shane Beamer said. “I say that meaning that was their first game as a South Carolina Gamecock, those two guys and a lot of those new faces. We’ll continue to get better overall.”
Utah State running back transfer Rahsul Faison didn’t start but rotated with Oscar Adaway for the bulk of the Gamecocks’ carries. Faison finished with 40 yards rushing, 30 coming on a big run in the second half.
This story was originally published September 1, 2025 at 8:59 AM.
