Missouri football’s SEC opener in 2025 could be an early tone-setter.
The Tigers host South Carolina in Week 4 of the college football season, as the Gamecocks arrive to play on Faurot Field on Sept. 20.
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South Carolina finished last season 9-4 with a Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois, which followed a run of six straight wins — including a dramatic late win over Mizzou in Columbia, South Carolina — to close the regular season and enter the periphery of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Both teams enter 2025 back in that discussion: CFP hopefuls, but perhaps more on the outside looking in than the reverse.
More: Has Missouri football done enough in offseason to be a CFP contender?
So how will this September test play out?
The Tribune is analyzing the offseason of each of Mizzou’s 2025 opponents to get you up to speed with the new rosters and coaching staff changes after a busy offseason.
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Here’s what to know about South Carolina in 2025, including key additions, coaching changes and playmakers to keep an eye on when the Gamecocks come to CoMo after a thriller last season:
Who are opposing names to know when Missouri football hosts South Carolina?
Quarterback: LaNorris Sellers is likely to find himself as a projected Day 1 NFL Draft pick next year, as he returns for an encore after a stellar first season as South Carolina’s starter. He threw for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, adding 674 yards and seven scores on the ground.
Nov 16, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) scrambles against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Offensive playmaker: Rahsul Faison will be an intriguing addition at running back for South Carolina … if he’s allowed to play. The Utah State transfer has hired an attorney and has applied for a waiver from the NCAA for eligibility. As of Wednesday, June 4, the Gamecocks still have no answer.
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Faison began college in 2019 but grayshirted at Marshall, sat out two seasons and played a year of JUCO football before emerging at Utah State, where he rushed for more than 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns over two seasons. He’s a dynamic playmaker, if USC can get him eligible.
Defensive playmaker: Dylan Stewart was among the best true freshmen in the nation last season, and it will be up to the 6-foot-5, 245-pound edge rusher to set the tone for a defense that lost a lot of NFL talent. Stewart produced a team-high 6.5 sacks last season to go with 10.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He is likely to be a preseason All-SEC first-team selection.
What did the offseason look like for Gamecocks?
Key additions: Rahsul Faison (RB, Utah State); Brandon Cisse (CB, NC State); Donovan Murph (WR, H.S.); Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (DT, Texas A&M); Jaylen Brown (DE, Missouri); Jordan Dingle (TE, Kentucky); Air Noland (QB, Ohio State)
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Key losses: Kyle Kennard (DE, NFL Draft); Tonka Hemingway (DT, NFL); Nick Emmanwori (S, NFL); Demetrius Knight (LB, NFL); T.J. Sanders (DT, NFL) O’Donnell Fortune (CB, UDFA); Bam Martin-Scott (LB, UDFA); Joshua Simon (TE, UDFA); Torricelli Simpkins III (OG, UDFA); Raheim Sanders (RB, UDFA)
Key coaching changes: Mike Shula (offensive coordinator)
You’ll notice that most of the Gamecocks’ major losses were on defense, as five of the Gamecocks’ starters on that side of the ball — including three players along the defensive line alone — were NFL Draft picks this year.
The offense isn’t without any turnover: Sanders, who scored the late game-winner against Missouri last season, is off to the league, and former offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is now the head coach at Appalachian State. Former Alabama coach Mike Shula will call the plays on offense this year.
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The recruiting service 247Sports ranks the Gamecocks as having the No. 18 incoming composite Class of 2025 high school recruits, as well as the No. 15 transfer portal class. That, on paper, is a good way to counter turnover.
That includes some solid pieces: Faison, Cisse, Dingle and Brownlow-Dindy, for instance, each should instantly plug in as starters. A lot of preseason prognosticators have South Carolina as a top-25 team, and replacing those key pieces will decide whether that’s accurate.
Early forecast for Mizzou vs. South Carolina
Nov 16, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Raheim Sanders (5) rushes for the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds left in the game against the Missouri Tigers in the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
This game, which will be the first in SEC play for both teams, is about as close to a temperature check as you can get. Both squads, after 9-3 regular seasons last year, have CFP ambitions.
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Whoever wins, barring any blunders before the Week 4 matchup, can likely rightfully consider themselves a CFP contender.
Missouri came oh-so-close to knocking off USC for a fifth straight season under head coach Eli Drinkwitz last season, but a clinical late drive from Sellers and company ended that streak. The Tigers still haven’t lost to South Carolina at home since 2017.
This has become a decent rivalry in recent years, and it’s not too far-fetched to say this year’s matchup could be among the most consequential in the series’ history.
More: Missouri football post-spring preview: What Kansas will bring when old enemies reunite
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It could very well come down to who replaced their losses better. Has USC rebuilt its excellent defense from last season? Can Mizzou transition smoothly through its personnel changes on offense? This game could very well offer the answer to both.
The season won’t be over for the loser, but the winner will have a good early win on the résumé.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football post-spring preview: South Carolina a CFP litmus test
