College Football: Preseason Top 25 Projections

South Carolina was the last team out in the Coaches Poll, coming in as the 26th team in points. The AP voters could have a different opinion, flipping the Gamecocks ahead of Oklahoma State. After all, South Carolina actually has a solid quarterback returning to Columbia while there are still ample questions about the position in Stillwater.

Jake Bentley didn’t necessarily set the world on fire consistently as a sophomore. But his 390-yard performance in defeat at the Birmingham Bowl as a freshman consolidated his place at the top of the depth chart, to the extent that Brandon McIlwain transferred to Cal and chose to sit out a year because the spot was filled. This year, Bentley gets back Deebo Samuels as the crown jewel of a solid receiving corps.

Rico Dowdle also returns at running back, after suffering a fractured fibula against Tennessee last year. AJ Turner and Ty’Son Williams are also back for the Gamecocks after stepping in last year to pick up the slack when Dowdle went down. The defense could be a bit shaky after losing seven of last year’s starting unit. But if this offense can stay healthy, the assemblage of talent will be enough to push the Gamecocks further up the AP Top 25.