USC players Nick Barrett, LaNorris Sellers, and DQ Smith will join fifth-year head coach Shane Beamer at next week’s SEC “Media Days” in Atlanta, the Southeastern Conference announced on Tuesday. The Gamecocks will meet the press next Monday, July 14th, along with representatives from LSU, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt. SportsTalk will have wall-to-wall coverage of the event: on-air, online, and via our social media pages.
USC Participant Breakdown: Sellers, a redshirt sophomore quarterback from Florence, is a Heisman Trophy candidate heading into the 2025 season. He was the FWAA National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 while earning SEC Freshman of the Year accolades and third-team All-SEC honors. He completed 66% of his passes for 2,534 yards with 18 touchdowns and added 674 yards and seven TDs on the ground. He is 8-4 as a starting quarterback with a pair of 300-yard passing games and two 100-yard rushing games.
Barrett, a redshirt senior defensive tackle, has appeared in 39 games over the past four seasons for the Gamecocks, logging 30 tackles. The Goldsboro, N.C. product played in just five games last season while using his redshirt season. He is a 2025 Hampshire Honor Society recipient and has been on five SEC academic honor rolls. Barrett was also a co-winner of the 2025 South Carolina Spirit Award for the defense, presented at the Garnet & Black Spring Game.
Smith, a senior safety, has started 34 of the 37 games in which he has appeared over the past three seasons. His 34 starts are the high-water mark for any returning player on the roster. The Columbia, S.C. product has collected 164 tackles with four interceptions and 10 pass breakups during his career. He shared the 2025 South Carolina Spirit Award for the defense with Barrett.
Beamer owns a 29-22 record and has won more games in his first four seasons at South Carolina than any other coach in school history. He has guided the Gamecocks to three bowl appearances. The 2024 squad was his most successful to date, as Carolina finished the season with a 9-4 record, including a 5-3 mark in the SEC. The squad was ranked 19th in the final national polls, its highest ranking since 2013.