Gamecocks Football Positional Breakdowns: The Specialists

We bring our series looking at the Gamecocks roster to a close as we break down the group of specialists leading the pack this fall. South Carolina is looking to replace veterans Kai Kroeger and Alex Herrera with a new young crop of talent. Who is in the race and is there a clear leader thus far entering fall camp?

South Carolina has three players vying for the kicker and punter roles this fall. Redshirt freshman Mason Love sat behind Kroeger and Herrera last fall. Love signed with the Gamecocks as a member of the 2024 class and was named the top rated punter in the nation. True freshman Max Kelley was rated as one of the top kickers in the country in the 2025 class by Kohl's Professional Camps. And finally redshirt senior William Joyce enters year five with the team after walking on as a punter and kicker in 2021.

Outside of kicker and punter, the competition at holder is heating up as well. Both Joyce and Love will be competing for the spot along with a freshman QB, according to Shane Beamer.

"We were very spoiled having Kai (Kroeger) the last few seasons," head coach Shane Beamer discusses the holder situation. "Right now, it's kind of a combination of William Joyce, Mason Love, and we've been working Cutter Woods in there as well. A lot of it will depend on what our kicker and punter situation looks like. You want to have as many guys as you possibly can."

Finally, long snapper appears to be a two horse race at the moment. Graduate Cole Rasmussen is the veteran in the room who joined the Gamecocks in 2021 as a tryout player. While Kyle Farrow is a true freshman looking to make an immediate impact. Rasmussen appears to have the upper hand so far.