Shane Beamer’s South Carolina Gamecocks Draw Mixed National Media Reactions on College Football Playoff Chances Entering 2025 Season
As the college football world ramps up for the 2025 season, the South Carolina Gamecocks are drawing national attention—not just for their growing talent pool or the charisma of head coach Shane Beamer, but because of one burning question: Can the Gamecocks crash the College Football Playoff party? It’s a notion that would’ve sounded far-fetched a few seasons ago, but with momentum building in Columbia and a wide-open SEC, the conversation has become serious. Media outlets across the nation are weighing in on South Carolina’s chances, and the reviews are mixed.
Beamer, now entering his fifth season as the head coach in Columbia, has steadily worked to lift South Carolina out of the SEC basement and into national relevance. His impact on recruiting, player development, and culture has drawn praise even from skeptics. But making the leap from respectability to Playoff contention is a massive step—and one that many believe depends heavily on the Gamecocks navigating a brutal SEC schedule and getting early production from young stars.
ESPN’s college football insiders have been surprisingly bullish on South Carolina. Analyst Greg McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback, pointed to South Carolina’s returning experience and offensive potential as reasons for optimism. “Beamer has built something sustainable,” McElroy said during a recent segment. “If things break their way—particularly in close SEC East matchups—they could find themselves in the Playoff hunt entering November.”
Another ESPN voice, Heather Dinich, was more cautious. While she acknowledged Beamer’s success, she emphasized that the Gamecocks would need more than a strong season—they’d need chaos. “Even with a 12-team Playoff coming, South Carolina has to beat a few national contenders to get real traction,” Dinich said. “There’s no room for slip-ups.”
Over at FOX Sports, the vibe is cautiously optimistic. Joel Klatt recently listed South Carolina as a “dark horse to monitor,” citing the expansion of the College Football Playoff and a more fluid SEC landscape. “With Alabama under new leadership and Georgia showing cracks last season, the league feels more open than it has in years,” Klatt said. “That gives schools like South Carolina a puncher’s chance.”
He also highlighted Beamer’s use of the transfer portal, praising his ability to find under-the-radar contributors who fill immediate needs. “They’re not building through just five-stars. They’re winning the portal, and that matters now more than ever.”
However, not everyone at FOX shares that level of belief. Colin Cowherd took a more skeptical view, noting that while Beamer is a “great motivator,” South Carolina still lacks the week-to-week consistency needed to be a true national threat. “Let’s not crown them yet,” Cowherd said. “Beat Georgia or LSU in a meaningful game before we start throwing around the word ‘Playoff.’”
CBS Sports took a measured stance on the Gamecocks’ Playoff ambitions. Senior writer Dennis Dodd included South Carolina in his list of “Playoff Hopefuls with Real Barriers,” highlighting their progress but warning that a brutal road slate could derail even the best-laid plans.
“South Carolina plays at Clemson, at Oklahoma, and hosts Georgia. Even with expanded access to the CFP, three losses could still knock them out,” Dodd wrote. “They’ll need to go at least 10-2 with a signature win to feel good in December.”
Analyst Barrett Sallee, however, was more upbeat. “I love what Beamer’s doing. He’s built a culture that players buy into. If their quarterback play holds up, they’re going to be in the mix come November,” Sallee noted. “They’re not just a spoiler anymore—they’re a legit contender in an evolving SEC.”
The Athletic’s college football coverage has painted South Carolina as one of the most fascinating “tier-two” programs entering 2025. National writer Bruce Feldman praised the cultural shift under Beamer and pointed to the team’s on-field discipline and toughness as hallmarks of a playoff-caliber group.
“South Carolina is no longer the team that just hopes to make a bowl. Beamer has them believing they belong in the same conversation as the heavyweights,” Feldman wrote. He also highlighted the Gamecocks’ improvement on the offensive and defensive lines—historically the biggest gaps between them and top SEC programs.
Still, columnist Stewart Mandel cautioned that while culture is vital, talent wins championships. “The roster is improved, no doubt. But until South Carolina gets an All-American quarterback or dominates in the trenches against Alabama or Georgia, they’re a few steps short,” Mandel said.
Sports Illustrated took a granular approach, analyzing South Carolina’s 2025 schedule in the context of a potential playoff run. Their analysis concluded that while South Carolina could look like a Playoff team in quality, the schedule might not allow them to finish like one.
“They could be one of the ten best teams in America and still finish 9-3,” SI’s Richard Johnson wrote. “That’s the SEC effect. Games at Florida, Clemson, and Oklahoma—all potential top-25 matchups—will define their season.”
However, Johnson also noted that South Carolina had developed a habit under Beamer of pulling off unexpected wins late in the season—something that could serve them well if they find themselves near the top of the SEC standings in November. “They’re a scary team when they’ve got momentum,” he said.
247Sports, a major recruiting outlet, is perhaps the most high on South Carolina’s Playoff chances. National recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong cited the Gamecocks’ recent Top 15 recruiting classes as a sign of a program ready to make the leap. “They’re building the depth that’s required to go through an SEC schedule and come out on top,” he said.
Wiltfong emphasized that South Carolina is no longer dependent on a handful of star players to carry the team. “Beamer and his staff have stacked back-to-back classes with versatile athletes who can play early. That gives them flexibility and resilience,” he added.
He also pointed to the program’s strong culture and retention rate as key reasons for their upward trajectory. “You don’t see a lot of guys bailing out of Columbia. That speaks volumes about what Beamer has built.”
USA Today’s Dan Wolken offered a far more skeptical viewpoint, stating bluntly that the Gamecocks were still “a step behind” programs like Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M when it comes to playoff-readiness.
“Beamer is a good coach and a great fit, but this isn’t a Cinderella story waiting to happen,” Wolken said. “The Playoff isn’t for programs that are merely good. It’s for programs that are elite. South Carolina’s not there yet.”
He also cited quarterback uncertainty and defensive lapses in recent seasons as signs that the Gamecocks have more work to do. “One or two upsets don’t make a Playoff team,” he concluded.
Across the board, national media opinions on Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks are varied but centered around one shared truth—South Carolina is no longer a program to ignore. Whether or not they reach the College Football Playoff in 2025, the fact that they are being discussed seriously as a contender is itself a testament to Beamer’s transformation of the program.
With an expanded Playoff and a shifting SEC landscape, South Carolina has its best shot in decades at being in the national title conversation. But to make it happen, the Gamecocks must win games that previously seemed out of reach—and do it consistently. That’s the next great challenge in Columbia.
As Herbstreit recently said on College GameDay, “Beamer’s got the culture, he’s got the belief, and now it’s just about results. If they beat Georgia, watch out.”
