From University of South Carolina Athletics
The South Carolina Gamecocks finished the 2024 season as the 19th-ranked college football team in the country, according to both the Associated Press and the Coaches, as the final polls were released today.
The Gamecocks finished the 2024 campaign with a 9-4 record overall and a 5-3 mark in the Southeastern Conference. It was their most successful season to date under fourth-year head coach Shane Beamer.
It marked the second time in the past three seasons that the Gamecocks finished in the nation’s top 25 (also No. 23 in 2022) and was their highest final ranking since the 2013 season when they were ranked fourth in the country.
The Gamecocks posted nine regular season wins for just the fifth time in school history in 2024. They recorded a school-record four wins against ranked opponents, including three in consecutive weeks as part of a regular-season ending six-game winning streak that also included a road win at ACC Champion Clemson.
Coach Beamer was recognized as the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Week for the third time in his career following the Gamecocks’ upset win over Texas A&M. He was named the SEC Coach of the Year by the AP, USA TODAY and College Football Nation. Beamer was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson, the Bobby Dodd and the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year honors and was a semifinalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year. With a 29-22 record, he owns the most wins by a South Carolina head coach in his first four seasons at the helm.
Individually, Edge rusher Kyle Kennard was the school’s first Bronko Nagurski Award winner as the nation’s top defensive player and was the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year. Kennard, along with safety and Irmo High School graduate Nick Emmanwori, earned first-team All-America honors, while punter Kai Kroeger was a second-team selection.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was selected as the SEC’s Freshman of the Year. Sellers, offensive tackle Josiah Thompson and Edge rusher Dylan Stewart earned Freshman All-America honors, giving the Gamecocks six All-Americans as selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the most of any FBS school in 2024.
The Gamecocks, who will be led by Sellers, an early Heisman Trophy candidate, figure to be a preseason top 25 team heading into the 2025 season. They will open the 2025 slate in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Virginia Tech on Sunday, Aug. 31.