Will South Carolina's Special Teams Make or Break the 2025 Season?

Special teams are often one of the most overlooked, but vital parts of football. While some may not notice good special teams, bad ones can make or break a game each week. 

For South Carolina, focusing on the special teams side of the ball is important as the team has to replace veterans Kai Kroger and Alex Herrera in 2025. Head Coach Shane Beamer provides an update on how that unit is looking so far in camp. 

“We’ve punted the ball well, consistently I feel like," Beamer said. "We have kicked well for the most part. Feel like we’ve made improvement in the return game. I’m pleased. This will be a big week for us.”

For younger players, special teams are vital to earning playing time. While many didn’t sign up for that unit, it’s often the way they make their mark early on in their collegiate career. 

“We’ve got, I think, 114 players on our roster right now," Beamer said. "We’re only allowed to take 74 to SEC away games, so making sure those guys understand that those are hard decisions every week. And a lot of the time it’s going to come down to special teams.”

The Gamecocks will have to rely on a lot of youth in important spots, notably kicker and punter, on special teams in 2025. Outside of that, for a talented 2025 freshman class playing well there may just be how they see the field early and often this season.