South-Carolina
Missouri football preseason preview: What MU should expect from South Carolina in November
When Missouri football visits South Carolina in mid-November, the tone for its season will already be more or less set.
Mizzou is 46 days away from kicking off its season Thursday, Aug. 29, against Murray State on Faurot Field in Columbia. On Tuesday, Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz will be joined by wide receiver Luther Burden III, quarterback Brady Cook and defensive tackle Kristian Williams at SEC media days in Dallas.
The Tigers are among the group of teams expected to make a push for a berth to the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff. To get there, MU will need to win a minimum of 10 games, with an 11-win regular season likely the only sure path into the playoffs.
On Nov. 16, when Mizzou faces coach Shame Beamer’s Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina, it will have already faced the likes of Texas A&M and Alabama on the road, and it will be coming straight off a home game against former Big 12 foe Oklahoma.
Those games likely will decide whether or not Missouri will factor into the playoff committee’s consideration.
If the Tigers are still in contention, the road trip to South Carolina becomes oh-so-important.
Here’s what to know about South Carolina’s offseason, including key additions and playmakers to keep an eye on when the teams take the field:
More: Three transfers who could help define Missouri football’s success in 2024 season
Who are the opposing names to know when Missouri football visits South Carolina?
Quarterback: LaNorris Sellers is suiting up for his first season as South Carolina’s starter, getting his shot as a redshirt freshman as ex-starter Spencer Rattler heads to the league. Sellers threw four passes as a rookie, all against FCS Furman, and went 4-for-4 for 86 yards and two touchdowns. In two other reserve appearances, against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, he rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown on three total carries.
Offensive playmakers: Coastal Carolina transfer Jared Brown is an intriguing addition after a 1,051-yard, all-purpose year for the Chanticleers, as is Louisville newcomer Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, who brings three years of experience.
But the real linchpin of this Gamecocks offense will be running back Raheim Sanders, who rushed for 1,443 yards for Arkansas in 2022 but spent half of last season sidelined with various injuries. If he stays healthy, that’s a major grab for coach Beamer’s team.
Defensive playmakers: Debo Williams was an All-SEC linebacker for the Gamecocks last season and returns as one of their top playmakers in 2024. South Carolina also has some stout options at defensive tackle, including T.J. Sanders, who registered 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season, and Tonka Hemingway, who had six quarterback hurries, seven pass breakups and two fumble recoveries last year.
What did the offseason look like for Gamecocks?
Key additions: Rocket Sanders (RB); Kyle Kennard (EDGE); Bangally Kamara (LB); Dylan Stewart (DE); Jared Brown (WR); Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (WR)
Key losses: Xavier Legette (WR); Spencer Rattler (QB); Marcellas Dial (CB); Nick Gargiulo (IOL); Mario Anderson (RB); Stone Blanton (LB); Trey Knox (TE)
Key coaching changes: NA
Here’s Beamer’s biggest issue: The Gamecocks have lost their top three pass-catchers from 2023 in Carolina Panthers first-round pick Xavier Legette, tight end Trey Knox and wide receiver Ahmarean Brown. They’ve lost their leading rusher, Mario Anderson, to Memphis in the portal. They’ve lost Rattler, their quarterback, who was a fifth-round draft pick to the Saints.
In total, per a table from ESPN’s Bill Connely, South Carolina is returning 52% of its offensive production from last season. That ranks 94th in the FBS. For reference, Mizzou returns 79%, which sits at 16th in the country.
With 22 total commitments, 247Sports ranks South Carolina’s transfer class at No. 16 nationally, a couple spots behind Missouri. Plenty of that work was acquiring offensive playmakers.
Some in-season chatter circulated last season that USC defensive coordinator Clayton White might be on the hot seat, but he remains in the role for a fourth season after giving up the third-most yards per game (395.8) in the SEC last season.
Early forecast for Mizzou at South Carolina
This has been Missouri’s game since Drinkwitz arrived in Columbia.
Mizzou has won each of its past five games against the Gamecocks, including a 4-0 record in its current head coach’s tenure. As it stands, MU should be favored this time around, too.
There aren’t many easy road trips in the SEC, though, and South Carolina has some players that could, on any given Saturday, cause a team some serious problems. Sellers is a true dual threat, and Sanders can give any team the runaround.
Mizzou completely shut South Carolina down last season. If Missouri is a two-loss team at the time of its visit to Williams-Brice Stadium, it might have to put the same type of hurt on the Gamecocks to boost its resume. If it’s managed to keep single-digit losses or fewer, any type of win will do.
More: Missouri football preseason preview: What Oklahoma will bring when old foes reunite
More: Missouri football gets 5th commit in a week, lands 4-star East St. Louis safety Charles Bass
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — The South Carolina State Museum opened its doors Saturday for a day of free admission, live entertainment and hands-on activities as it marked America’s 250th anniversary and unveiled a new exhibit focused on the Palmetto State’s role in the Revolutionary War.
The event, billed as “Salute to 250 Day,” included the grand opening of “American Battleground: South Carolina’s Revolution,” an exhibition exploring South Carolina’s role in the fight for independence.
“When we think of the revolution, of course we think about Bunker Hill, and George Washington, and crossing the Delaware, and in Yorktown and the battles up there,” said Christopher Graham, curator of the Revolution exhibit.
But on two occasions, the British attempted to invade the southern colonies. The first occasion, 1776, South Carolina drove off the attempt and British returned in 1780 and captured Charlestown, and moved into the backcountry attempting to reestablish rural control. That’s when the backcountry militia rose up and begin fighting the British without much government support, and eventually driving the British out of South Carolina into North Carolina and toward their fate at Yorktown.
Organizers said the exhibit is intended to help visitors learn about the Revolutionary War in the South, with artifacts meant to connect people of all ages with the state’s history.
Among the items on display is what Graham described as a significant South Carolina artifact.
“There is an iconic South Carolina artifact in here. It’s the flag of the second South Carolina regiment that was given to the regiment just a couple days after the battle of Sullivans Island, and carried for several year,” Graham said. “It was captured at the siege of Savannah carried back to Britain, where lived for 200 years, and now it’s back and it’s on exhibit.”
Chandler Mack, PR manager for the South Carolina State Museum, said the exhibit is part of a broader effort to begin a year of commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
“we played a very pivotal role in our nations quest for independence during the revolutionary war. So that’s why we wanted to open ‘American Battleground: South Carolina’s Revolution’ to tell that story and tell the story of what life was like for every South Carolinian,” Mack said.
A shark is swimming around a surfer in Aptos, California
Drone footage shows a large shark was seen swimming ominously close to a surfer sitting on his surfboard at Seascape Beach in Aptos, California.
As summer crowds return to South Carolina’s beaches, new data highlights how influential the Palmetto State is on America’s shark risk.
The state has 118 recorded historical shark attacks, the third‑highest total in the nation. Two unprovoked bites have already been reported in 2026, according to Vegas Insider’s Summer Hazard Odds study.
South Carolina remains one of the country’s most closely watched coastal hotspots where incidents from shark bites to lightning strikes are likely to occur. Myrtle Beach, in particular, stands out, as it ranks No. 14 overall in hazard risk and No. 2 nationally for shark‑bite risk.
How likely is a shark bite in Myrtle Beach?
The odds of a shark bite in Myrtle Beach are estimated at 1 in 720,000 during a two‑week trip, equivalent to a 0.00014% likelihood, according to Vegas Insider’s Summer Hazard Odds study.
Even with Myrtle Beach’s national ranking, the numbers make one thing clear: shark encounters remain pretty rare.
Has there ever been a fatal shark attack at a South Carolina beach?
Despite its high risk of recorded shark encounters, there has never been a confirmed or fatal unprovoked shark attack in South Carolina in modern history.
The only such incident on record dates all the way back to 1852 in Charleston Harbor, according to America Surf, a magazine dedicated to surfing.
Myrtle Beach is among America’s top shark hotspots
With new national rankings spotlighting Myrtle Beach as one of the country’s most closely watched shark hotspots.
Vegas Insider’s Summer Hazard Odds study reveals it stems largely from the area’s intense swimmer density and environmental conditions.
With over 17 million visitors each year, Myrtle Beach does see an increase in accidental shark interactions. At the same time, the region’s warm, murky coastal waters create ideal shark-hunting conditions.
What types of sharks are at Myrtle Beach? Blacktips to bull sharks
As concerns about coastal safety rise each summer, understanding which sharks are actually responsible for bites in Myrtle Beach helps put the risk into perspective.
Most incidents in South Carolina involve small to medium coastal species, not large predators, according to americansurfmagazine.com
Along the beach, sharks most often linked to bites include blacktips, spinners, bull sharks, sandbar sharks, and Atlantic sharpnose sharks.
Reality of shark encounters in Myrtle Beach
Understanding why shark bites happen in Myrtle Beach helps make sense of the danger.
As reported by americansurfmagazine.com, most incidents aren’t aggressive attacks but quick, unintentional encounters driven by shark behavior.
Bites are typically unprovoked yet non‑aggressive, often involving single, rapid nips when a shark mistakes a hand, foot, or ankle for a small fish in the surf.
Juvenile sharks feeding in shallow, turbid water are the usual culprits, especially fast‑moving blacktips and spinners, which strike at baitfish near the shoreline and may accidentally contact swimmers.
Ways to reduce shark bite risk this beach season
As the summer beach season approaches, safety experts say that most shark encounters can be prevented with simple habits in the water.
According to the Florida Museum, ways to keep yourself and others safe include swimming in groups, staying close to shore, and avoiding the ocean during dawn, dusk, or nighttime, when sharks are most active.
It also means minimizing behaviors that attract attention, avoiding excess splashing, and steering clear of shiny jewelry or bright, high‑contrast clothing that resembles prey in murky waters.
Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball landed a potential starting infielder from the transfer portal.
Will Craddock, who played one season at South Carolina, committed to the Bulldogs on June 26.
“Hail State,” Craddock wrote on Instagram.
The freshman batted .260, leading the Gamecocks in home runs (10) and runs (36) while ranking third with 29 RBIs. In SEC play, his average dipped to .172 with two home runs, six RBIs and 14 runs.
Craddock primarily played first base, but also made starts at second base, third base and designated hitter. He started all three games against Mississippi State in April, batting 3-for-14 with a walk, no RBIs but two runs.
He was a standout player for T.L. Hanna in Anderson, South Carolina, and was the state’s 5A Player of the year in 2025. He hit .442 that season with eight doubles, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases while ranked as the No. 26 player in South Carolina.
Mississippi State’s starting first baseman, Reed Stallman, is out of eligibility.
The transfer portal opened June 1 and closes June 30.
Mississippi State baseball transfer portal class
Craddock is the 10th transfer to commit to Mississippi State and the second South Carolina player, joining relief pitcher Zach Russell.
Other position players who are transferring to MSU include Georgia Southern catcher/outfielder Brady Christman, Samford outfielder Jake Souders, Army utility player Josiah Overbeek, South Dakota State third baseman Nolan Grawe, Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus and North Florida outfielder Carter White.
Twelve Mississippi State players have entered the transfer portal as of June 26, including relief pitcher Tyler Pitzer who committed to South Carolina.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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