South Carolina should beat Kent State Saturday. There is no reason to dance around that fact.
This is a game the Gamecocks should control from beginning to end. However, it is also an opportunity for several players to prove they are ready to take the next step.
Beating Kent State will not tell us everything about this South Carolina team, but individual performances still matter. There are players fighting for larger roles, players trying to rebound from disappointing seasons and established starters who need to show they are ready to lead this team against SEC competition.
Here are five Gamecocks with something to prove Saturday.
1. Mazeo Bennett, Wide Receiver
No player on this roster may need a strong opening game more than Mazeo Bennett.
After catching 30 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman, Bennett appeared ready to become one of South Carolina’s top offensive weapons. Instead, his sophomore season was a complete letdown.
Bennett finished last year with only 10 catches for 62 yards and did not score a touchdown. He practically disappeared from the offense.
Some of that can be blamed on the offensive struggles around him. Some can be blamed on how he was used. But Bennett must also prove he can respond when things do not go as planned.
He could have entered the transfer portal and looked for a fresh start. Instead, he stayed at South Carolina and chose to fight his way back into the picture.
Now it is time to show why there was so much excitement about him after his freshman season.
Bennett does not have to catch 10 passes Saturday, but he needs to be involved. South Carolina should get the ball to him early and give him an opportunity to rebuild his confidence. A few catches, some yards after contact and a trip to the end zone would be an excellent way to start his comeback.
The talent did not disappear. Saturday is Bennett’s first opportunity to prove that last season did not define him.
2. Judge Collier, Cornerback
South Carolina has a rich history of producing NFL defensive backs, going all the way back to Bobby Bryant and Rick Sanford. In more recent years, the Gamecocks have built a legitimate argument for being DB University.
Judge Collier has the physical ability to become the next player in that line. Now he must turn that ability into consistent production.
Collier has played plenty of football for South Carolina, but he enters this season without a career interception. He broke up eight passes in 2024 but recorded only one pass breakup last year.
Those numbers do not tell the entire story. Sometimes the best cornerbacks do not see many throws because quarterbacks avoid them. But if Collier wants to be considered one of the best defensive backs in the SEC—and become a legitimate NFL prospect—he needs to make more impact plays.
That means interceptions, forced fumbles and game-changing moments.
Kent State may test him. If it does, Collier needs to make the Golden Flashes regret it. He has the experience, size and athletic ability. This season is about proving he can become the complete shutdown corner South Carolina needs.
3. LaNorris Sellers, Quarterback
LaNorris Sellers is already an established star, but he still has something to prove Saturday.
If Sellers is going to become part of the Heisman Trophy conversation and establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, he must dominate teams like Kent State.
This is not a game in which South Carolina should need Sellers to rescue the offense in the fourth quarter. He should control the game early, put touchdowns on the board and spend much of the second half watching from the sideline.
Sellers completed only 61 percent of his passes last season and threw eight interceptions. He also lost six fumbles. Those are areas that must improve if South Carolina is going to compete with the best teams on its schedule.
Saturday is an opportunity to show better command of the offense, sharper accuracy and improved ball security.
I do not need to see Sellers run the ball 15 times against Kent State. We already know what he can do with his legs. I want to see him beat the defense from the pocket, distribute the football and make the correct decision consistently.
A dominant and efficient performance would be the first step toward putting his name into the national conversation.
4. Matt Fuller, Running Back
South Carolina needs to find out whether Matt Fuller is ready to become its primary running back.
Fuller possesses the size and talent to give the Gamecocks a physical presence in the backfield, but being listed first in the rotation and proving you can carry the running game are two different things.
Saturday is his first opportunity to show he can handle that responsibility.
South Carolina cannot spend another season placing the entire offense on Sellers. The Gamecocks need someone who can consistently gain yards between the tackles, create manageable third downs and punish defenses when they focus too much attention on the quarterback.
Fuller needs to run with authority against Kent State. He has to show patience behind the offensive line, hit the hole decisively and finish runs going forward.
I am not necessarily looking for one long touchdown that makes his statistics look impressive. I want to see consistent production. Give me five, six and seven yards at a time. Give me tough yards near the goal line. Give me a running back who can help South Carolina control the game.
If Fuller is going to become a major part of this offense, it should begin Saturday.
5. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Defensive Tackle
With Dylan Stewart unavailable, someone on South Carolina’s defensive front has to become the tone-setter.
Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy has the talent and experience to be that player.
Brownlow-Dindy arrived at South Carolina with the reputation of a former five-star prospect, but reputations do not make tackles. At this point in his career, it is time for the production to match the potential.
Kent State should not be able to establish a running game against South Carolina. Brownlow-Dindy needs to control the middle, defeat blocks and create opportunities for the linebackers behind him.
Dominant defensive tackles do not always fill up the stat sheet. Their impact can be seen in offensive linemen getting pushed backward, running backs changing direction and quarterbacks being unable to step into the pocket.
That is what South Carolina needs from Brownlow-Dindy.
He has an opportunity to become the anchor of this defensive line. Saturday is his first chance to prove he is ready.
The Bottom Line
South Carolina should win this football game, but simply winning is not enough.
Mazeo Bennett needs to show that last season is behind him. Judge Collier needs to begin creating turnovers. LaNorris Sellers needs to dominate an opponent he should dominate. Matt Fuller needs to establish himself as the answer at running back, and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy needs to become the physical presence South Carolina requires in the middle of its defense.
These are not the only Gamecocks worth watching Saturday, but they are five players with a little more riding on their performance.
This is an opportunity for South Carolina to begin the season with a convincing victory. For these five players, it is an opportunity to begin answering some important questions.
