South Carolina arrives at the start of the 2025 season with big ambitions, fresh off its program’s first College Football Playoff appearance, and a tough test awaits in Atlanta as the Gamecocks face Virginia Tech in a Sunday showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Under Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks have surged to 29 wins over four seasons, the most in school history, and enter the opener with a blend of veteran leadership and exciting, youthful upside.
Leading the charge is preseason first-team All-SEC quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has drawn national buzz, and a standout edge defender in Dylan Stewart, who showed flashes in his freshman year. While South Carolina did lose several defensive contributors to the 2025 NFL Draft, the staff is counting on a mix of transfers and emerging players to fill the gaps as the season begins.
Virginia Tech arrives with tempered optimism after three straight seasons without a 6- or better finish. The Hokies’ path to improvement starts up front, with a rebuilt offensive line charged with protecting Kyron Drones and giving new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery a chance to implement his scheme. The program’s last eight-win campaign came in 2019, making this opener a critical early test for coach Brent Pry and his staff.
This Week 1 matchup sits among a slate of SEC-ACC crossovers that also includes spectacles like LSU-Clemson, Syracuse-Tennessee and Alabama-Florida State. The SEC is projected to land four teams in the College Football Playoff this season, while the ACC is expected to place two in the 12-team field. For both South Carolina and Virginia Tech, Atlanta offers a prime forum to set a fast tempo and gain early momentum.
Kickoff details: Sunday, Aug. 31, 3 p.m. ET, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. Television coverage is on ESPN, with live streaming available via Fubo.
Beamer vs. his father’s program creates an intriguing backdrop. This is the first time Shane Beamer will face Virginia Tech—the Hokies’ all-time winningest coach—since the pair crossed paths as player and assistant on Tech’s staff. Beamer played as a wide receiver for his father, Frank Beamer, from 1995-99 and later served on the Hokies’ coaching staff, a narrative that adds an extra layer of intensity to the meeting.
Virginia Tech has struggled against ranked opponents recently, dropping six straight to top-25 teams, with its last win coming in a 2021 season-opening victory over North Carolina. Pry’s three-season tenure at Tech has featured mixed results, including a single conference win over an SEC opponent last year. The Hokies’ home opener at Lane Stadium will headline a challenging early schedule as they look to establish an identity under Montgomery’s system.
South Carolina’s lineup on offense features several true freshmen likely to see action at receiver, including Brian Rowe Jr. and Donovan Murph, as the staff chose not to pursue immediate transfer help at wideout this offseason. Instead, the Gamecocks will lean on a mix of 2025 signees and returning playmakers such as Nyck Harbor and Mazeo Bennett to provide weapons for Sellers.
Prediction and outlook: South Carolina enters the season with a sense of confidence as a top-15 team—its first such ranking in more than a decade. Sellers’ potential and a favorable atmosphere in a garnet-heavy crowd in Atlanta give the Gamecocks the edge in this showdown, though Tech’s defense and an improved offense could make this a competitive opener. SportsLine’s computer model, which simulated every Week 1 game 10,000 times, leans toward South Carolina in this matchup, underscoring the belief that the Gamecocks’ offense and playmaking capability could prevail on neutral turf.
What to watch for
– LaNorris Sellers’ development in his first full season as the primary signal-caller, and how his chemistry with new receivers evolves.
– Dylan Stewart’s continued impact on the defensive end and how South Carolina replaces lost production up front.
– Virginia Tech’s offensive line progress and how well the new coordinator’s schemes translate against a highly ranked opponent.
– The receiving corps for South Carolina, with a mix of talented freshmen and returning players competing for touches early in the year.
– The early-season temperature of the SEC-ACC dynamic and how this game might set the tone for both programs moving forward.
Summary
South Carolina opens 2025 with high expectations, a Heisman-recognition buzz for its quarterback, and a plan to replace departed defenders through a mix of transfers and rising players. Virginia Tech offers a stern test in Atlanta as the Hokies aim to rebound from several down years. The game represents a key early indicator of whether Beamer’s program can sustain its upward trajectory into a potential breakout season while Tech seeks momentum under Pry and Montgomery.
A hopeful note
If South Carolina can execute early and establish balance between its dynamic offense and improving defense, the program could turn the page quickly on recent inconsistencies and capitalize on its strengthened national profile as it builds toward a possible conference-title push.