⚡ CFB Dashboard

- South Carolina receiver Nyck Harbor said new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles quickly won trust during winter work and has the offense prepared for the opener. - Harbor enters 2026 off back-to-back 100-yard games and a career 17.5 yards per reception, giving South Carolina a clear explosive target in Briles' offense. - Briles said Harbor has dedicated himself to improving at receiver and expects him to have a great year because of his work ethic and physical gifts.

- QB: I was literally in the process of clipping that when I received a phone call, and then had to set it aside.

- South Carolina enters 2026 with Kendal Briles as its new offensive coordinator after the offense struggled badly in Shane Beamer's fifth season. - Briles brings recent play-calling experience from three seasons at TCU and earlier stops at Baylor, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Florida State and Arkansas, raising expectations for a faster and more productive attack. - The article frames 2026 as a decisive offensive rebound year because Briles inherits quarterback continuity but South Carolina has produced only brief stretches of effective offense across the Beamer era.

- Kendal Briles kept South Carolina's Kent State game plan close to its existing offense with little new installation, prioritizing clean execution and player confidence for the opener. - Briles praised the offensive line's urgency but emphasized that its run blocking and pass protection still depend on communication with the backs and tight ends. - Cutter Woods is established as South Carolina's No. 2 quarterback, while Landon Duckworth and the more experienced Lucian Anderson remain in the QB3 competition. - Recent defensive addition Ethan Johnson is learning the system at an accelerated pace but is currently expected to open in a reserve role.

- Matt Fuller held the preseason edge over Christian Clark at running back and is the high-confidence projection to start, though both are expected to receive carries against Kent State. - Mazeo Bennett Jr. and Nyck Harbor are established receiver starters, while DJ Black is the low-confidence projection to win the remaining spot over Donovan Murph and Nitro Tuggle. - Nolan Hay is the projected left guard after also practicing at center, while veteran Dayne Arnett is a low-confidence right-tackle projection until Jacarrius Peak returns. - Anthony Addison is the high-confidence projection to start opposite Caleb Herring at defensive end within a rotation expected to remain heavy. - Kentucky transfer Quay'sheed Scott is projected to open at nickel over Gerald Kilgore, while David Bucey holds the early safety edge over freshman J'Zavien Currence in competitions expected to continue.

- LaNorris Sellers entered the season at approximately 38-to-1 for the Heisman and with a passing-yards prop of 2,524.5 after throwing for 2,437 yards last year. - Sellers exceeded 211 passing yards in five games last season, including three after South Carolina's in-season offensive coaching change. - South Carolina's win total is 6.5, while the article projects eight or nine wins on the condition that new play caller Kendal Briles produces a major offensive improvement from 2025.

- EDGE Dylan Stewart and OL Jacarrius Peak continued to progress in rehabilitation, but Shane Beamer called both doubtful for the opener against Kent State while leaving open a return soon afterward. - TE Brady Hunt sustained a leg bruise in the latest scrimmage and missed the following Tuesday practice, but Beamer expects him to be fully available against Kent State. - Hunt enters 2026 as an experienced but modestly used receiving option after producing 21 catches for 168 yards last season.

- South Carolina used the week as a mock game week for Kent State, with the staff emphasizing a sharp start that removes the underdog's hope early. - Kendal Briles' offense will feature mixed run-pass options in which the defensive response determines where the ball goes, with sustained production prioritized over a preset run-pass balance. - The offense reportedly improved from a slow start and strong finish in its first scrimmage to starting fast and sustaining that level throughout the second scrimmage. - Special-teams coordinator Matthew Smiley would consider a dedicated long-range kicker for late-half or late-game attempts around 56 to 59 yards when that option grades better than a Hail Mary.

- QB: 1801 Media put out this video of Sellers throwing at targets of various distances.

- South Carolina Defensive Coordinator Clayton White, Offensive Coordinator Kendal Briles and Special Teams Coordinator Matthew Smiley met with members of the media following Wednesday's practice