Countdown to kickoff prediction series: South Carolina will get creative in running game in 2026

In May, when the calendar revealed that it was 100 days until South Carolina kicked off the season, I posted a story on GamecockCentral entitled “100 predictions for the 2026 Gamecocks.” Now, that countdown is down to just 49 days. The prediction paired with day 49 read, “For the second year in a row, non-backs (running backs or quarterbacks) will score multiple rushing touchdowns.” Let’s break down that prognostication. Have a question for the GamecockCentral staff? Ask it now on The Insiders Forum. A pre-Briles trend at South Carolina Though the playcalling lacked imagination for most of the 2025 season, South Carolina now has a multiple-year trend in place of getting creative with certain calls in the run game. Specifically, the Gamecocks have had a non-back (anyone other than a running back or quarterback) score rushing touchdowns in three of the last four seasons. In 2022, tight end Jaheim Bell saw a lot of backfield snaps down the stretch and logged three touchdowns. Receivers Juice Wells and Jalen Brooks also found the end zone on running plays. In 2023, defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway scored a rushing touchdown. Then, in 2025, tight end Brady Hunt ran the “tush push” for two scores. Across three different offensive coordinators, South Carolina scored eight rushing touchdowns (plus multiple two-point conversions) with players who did not typically play in the backfield. New offensive coordinator Kendal Briles isn’t afraid of getting positionally creative in the running game, either. What does this mean for the Gamecocks? Fellow subscribers are discussing it now on The Insiders Forum. Briles’ creativity Kendal Briles’ offensive philosophy is simple: get the best playmakers on the team the football, preferably in space, while disrupting the defense through tempo shifts, formational changes, and creative calls. Because of that, South Carolina football fans can expect the Gamecocks to show some offensive ingenuity this fall. The ground game, as it should be, will be mostly handled by quarterback LaNorris Sellers and USC’s stable of backs. However, there could be instances in which other players get involved. If Briles believes a player can help his offense in the run game, he will utilize him. At TCU in 2025, Briles called non-backs’ numbers for carries about once per game. The previous year, he lined up big receiver Savion Williams in the backfield for at least five carries per game in the Horned Frogs’ final six games. Williams and other TCU receivers tallied 30 carries in 2023. Non-backs carried the ball double-digit times in 2022 at Arkansas under Briles’ leadership. In 2021, Traylon Burks had over 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. Because of it being a trend for both South Carolina and for Briles, positional creativity in the run game should continue in Columbia this fall. And if things go the Gamecocks’ way, that could mean some extra touchdowns for the Garnet and Black.