Anonymous SEC coach declares 'playoff or bust' for South Carolina in 2025

Shane Beamer and his South Carolina team are facing heightened expectations for the 2025 season. With star quarterback LaNorris Sellers leading the charge, many believe it’s time for the Gamecocks to get to the College Football Playoff.

They came close last season, but some losses earlier in the year kept them out of the 12-team dance. Ahead of a new campaign, Athlon Sports spoke with many SEC coaches under the condition of anonymity. It’s evident they believe it’s Playoff of bust for Beamer’s team this season.

One SEC coach said as much. They didn’t hold back on the team’s expectations: “It’s playoff or bust for these guys because they’re going to lose their best pieces at the end of the season,” an anonymous SEC coach told Athlon Sports.

Moreover, another anonymous SEC coach went as far as to call the Gamecocks loaded ahead of this season’s campaign. With Sellers’ NFL Draft stock rising, 2025 may be their only shot at winning a title, and Beamer and company can’t squander their potential.

“They’re going to be loaded this year because they’ve brought in portal players to complement the defense,” another anonymous SEC coach told Athlon Sports. “I think the mentality here is that they know they’ve got one season to break through with Sellers before he’s gone, and they’re going to build the best roster they can in the short term.”

All told, there’s a couple of different reasons why Sellers is held in high regard after his breakout season in 2024. One of them is his demeanor. Beamer waxed poetic about his quarterback earlier this month, and how nothing can get him off his game.

“He’s the same all the time, whether it be after we win a huge game or have a tough loss,” Beamer said, regarding Sellers. “Practice or pre game, post game, whatever it is, he’s the same person. He’s steady, and he’s got a great family around him. His character and his humility, that he is always striving to be better and doesn’t let a lot of outside noise or external influences bother him. He is who he is and doesn’t let anything get to him.”

After redshirting during his true freshman season in 2023, Sellers didn’t disappoint during his first campaign as the Gamecocks starting QB. In 2024, Sellers completed 65.6% of his passes for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions.

If South Carolina is to win a national title this coming season, they’re going to need all of LaNorris Sellers and then some. We’ll see what he has in store for an encore, but Shane Beamer and a couple anonymous SEC coaches believe in this Gamecocks team, it seems.