When the 2025 season kicks off against Virginia Tech in Atlanta on Aug. 31, South Carolina will take the field with a few of the top players in the country on both sides of the ball.
On Saturday, College Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson ranked his top 100 returning college football players for 2025 and three Gamecocks made the list.
The highest ranked South Carolina player was EDGE Dylan Stewart, who was tabbed as the No. 2 returning player in the country behind Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Here’s what Hodgkinson said on Stewart.
“The CSN Defensive Freshman of the Year, Dylan Stewart, put together one of the most dominant performances off the edge by a freshman that we’ve seen in recent history. While some consider Texas’ Simmons as the standout pass rusher heading into the 2025 campaign, the South Carolina Gamecocks standout had six more quarterback pressures than the illustrious Longhorn last season.
“Stewart finished top 20 in the SEC with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as South Carolina wheeled out a phenomenal one-two punch off the edge. With teammate Kyle Kennard headed to the NFL, it’s the talented young Gamecocks’ time to lead the defense of a team that could be one of the best in the country in the upcoming season.”
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The next highest ranked South Carolina player was quarterback LaNorris Sellers at No. 11. Sellers was the second highest ranked quarterback behind Penn State’s Drew Allar.
“LaNorris Sellers is one of the most exciting players at any position that you’ll see in college football this season,” Hodgkinson said. “He could comfortably end up as the best quarterback in the country by the year is out.
“He’s a dangerous dual threat with the physical tools to dominate for the Gamecocks this fall. If he plays more consistently, the most productive season of his career should lead to team success and individual accolades.”
Coming in ranked at No. 88 was wide receiver Nyck Harbor. His 376 receiving yards in 2024 finished second on the team behind tight end Joshua Simon but was first among the wide receivers.
In the back half of his sophomore campaign, Harbor showed great improvement and really started to display his potential. In the final five games of the season, Harbor tallied 272 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 15 receptions.
“You won’t be blown away by Nyck Harbor’s stats accrued over his first two seasons, but the South Carolina Gamecocks young star wide receiver spent much of that time learning the position and honing his skill set,” Hodgkinson said.
“Last season, we saw flashes of what that might look like as he led the WR room in the second half of the season, and in 2025, I fully expect Harbor to be unleashed as a bona fide weapon. His ludicrous athletic profile, with his 6’5″ and 10.32 100m speed, could prove unstoppable.”
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