South Carolina football continues to earn national attention as another preseason ranking places them among the top programs in the country. In the latest CBS Sports ranking of all 136 FBS teams, the Gamecocks come in at No. 16, maintaining their strong presence across offseason projections.
This ranking positions Shane Beamer’s squad as the sixth-highest among SEC teams—trailing only Texas (1), Georgia (5), Alabama (8), LSU (9), and Florida (12).
South Carolina faces a challenging schedule in 2025, with multiple matchups against top-ranked programs, including:
- No. 4 Clemson
- No. 8 Alabama
- No. 9 LSU
- No. 18 Texas A&M
- No. 22 Ole Miss
- No. 24 Oklahoma
- No. 28 Missouri
- No. 47 Vanderbilt
- No. 48 Virginia Tech
- No. 57 Kentucky
- No. 93 Coastal Carolina
They’ll also play South Carolina State, an FCS program not included in the CBS Sports rankings.
Notably, five of the six lowest-ranked teams on their schedule appear within the first five weeks, giving the Gamecocks a chance to build momentum early in the season. With expectations rising and a favorable early stretch, South Carolina aims to make a serious push for the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
